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ABOARD AND ABROAD 



VACATION NOTES, 



IN 



TEN LETTERS 



ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE LOWELL DAILY CO CRIER 



2^ 



A^ 



2- 



t>7 



BY 



BENJ. WALKER 



PRINTED FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION 



LOWELL, MASS. 

COURIER press: MARDEN & ROWELL 

1889 




THB LIBRARY 
or CONGRESS 



WASHIHGTON 

■I ■ "ns 









THE TOURISTS. 



Hon. SAMUEL P. HADLEY, 

Judge of Police Court, Lowell. 

Rev. ransom A. GREENE, 

Pastor of Shattuck Street Universalist Church, Lowell. 

Z. E. STONE, Esq. 
Editor of The Morning Mail, Lowell. 

BENJ. WALKER, 

Correspondent. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The following letters were originally written for the Lowell 
Daily Courier. They were intended only to afford a moment- 
ary gratification to the readers of that paper who might be inter- 
ested in the little party of tourists whose adventures they relate. 
The letters have been so kindly received, and copies of the same 
so often requested, that they have been reproduced in the present 
form for j)rivate distribution. For their reproduction, special 
thanks are due to Messrs. Marden & Rowell, who have, with 
characteristic kindness and liberality, afforded every facility for 
this purpose. 

With the primary idea of brevity as essential to letters intended 
for newspaper reading, much has been omitted from the descrip- 
tions of places visited that could easily have been added. It 
has not been thought advisable to change the plan of these letters 
in this regard. The present opportunity, however, admits of 
saying a word with reference to the business and social charac- 
teristics of the English people. 

So far as my observation extends, English merchants and busi- 
ness men are uniformly kind and courteous. Their manners and 
methods, like the country and its buildings, are solid and substan- 
tial, and while evincing less of that "cuteness" which is attrib- 
uted to Americans in general, and to Yankees in particular, there 
is an element of honesty, sincerity, and conservatism which at 
once commands, not only respect, but the highest admiration. 
England, as I saw^ it, assumes towards America the position of 
parent to child. Everywhere the feeling manifested was one of 



6 INTB OD UGTION. 

parental regard — that of the parent for the child greatly exceed- 
ing, perhaps, that of the child for the parent. On general princi- 
ples this regard on the part of the older nation may seem politic, 
when the resources and power of the United States Grovernment 
are considered ; but, nevertheless, in my humble judgment, the 
feeling emanates from a far deeper and much more enlightened 
source. Of course, the English are " free-traders," or would be 
if they could, so far as the United States are concerned, but that 
is not a matter to be discussed in these pages. The one thing 
wanted between the two countries is a better and more intimate 
personal acquaintance, out of which natural and mutual afRnities 
will be sure to develop. 

The "customs of the countrj^-," so far as they relate to travel- 
ing are very different from those in America, and are often 
irritating and annoying. The almost universal system of " tips " 
is exasperating to the last degree, leaving, as it does, the impres- 
sion that porters and waiters are to be classed about on a par 
with the endless number of beggars who are everywhere present. 
With all England's wealth — and the same may be said of France, 
Belgium, and Holland, the only other countries visited — there 
also exists an element of squalor and poverty, almost indescrib- 
able. The rich are very rich ; the poor terribly so. 

To numerous inquiries relative to the expense of making a two- 
months' European trip, the answer is, in general terms. Whatever 
one chooses to make it. With a due regard, however, to economy, 
my advice to the tourist of limited means would be, first to majD 
out the route to be taken and purchase transportation tickets of 
Thomas Cook & Sons, whom I cannot too highly recommend in 
this initial expenditure. This course will save the annoyance of 
dealing at foreign " booking stations," in a foreign currency, 
and insure a prompt and ready transit wherever the tickets desig- 
nate; but I do not favor the "hotel coupons" issued by the same 
firm, for, although I did not use them, I was often asked bj'- the 
keepers of public houses if I expected to offer coupons in payment 
of my bills ; the inference plainly being that, although the coupon 



INTBODUCTIOX. 7 

would be honored, they were likely to be much less acceptable and 
" telling" than the hard cash. 

I would also suggest the patronage, in large cities, when a stay 
of several days is intended, of what are known as "private 
hotels," where lodging and breakfasts are obtained, and where, 
for a moderate price, good accommodations may readily be 
secured. Other meals can be had at restaurants of every grade 
and variety, and the living thus made to correspond with the 
desires of the tourist. It is also easy, when one knows how, to 
reach almost any section of London and Paris, as also other large 
cities, by omnibus and tramway (horse car) lines, for a penny or 
two, although a somewhat extended trip in a hansom, with either 
one or two persons, may be made for a shilling — twenty-four 
cents. 

There are various other ways of exercising a little economy, 
altogether " too numerous to mention," which Avill present them- 
selves. A trip such as is described in the following pages, involv- 
ing nearly nine thousand miles of travel, may be made, very 
comfortably, at a cost not exceeding three hundred and fifty dol- 
lars, including transportation (first class by sea, second class by 
land), board, tips, and every other necessary and incidental 
expense. With ladies in the part}^, a little extra margin would 
probably be required. 

In closing, the writer takes occasion to acknowledge his obliga- 
tions to Mr. Leonard O. Johnson, 12 and 13 Eed Lion Court, 
Fleet Street, London, E. C, for many courtesies. Mr. Johnson is 
an intelligent and afiable young English gentleman, representing 
the highest type of those commercial classes to whose integ- 
rity, sagacity, and enterprise England owes its prosperity and 
influence. B. W. 



ABOARD AND ABROAD 

LETTER I. 

THE TOURING QUARTETTE. 



A Walker as a Traveler — Scenes on Board the 
Umbria — An Unusual Voyage. 

On Board the Umbria, | 

May 16, 1889. j 

THE writer left Lowell on the morning of the 10th of 
May. The sun never shone more beautifully, the 
natural scenery of the outskirts of the city never seemed 
more lovely, and the blossoming trees, in all their magnifi- 
cence, never emitted a more charming fragrance than on 
this very propitious commencement of a trip to foreign 
lands. All through the states of Massachusetts and Con- 
necticut the aspects of nature were presented in their most 
beautiful forms, and the question would constantly arise, in 
spite of myself, whether anything in the old world could 
possibly surpass these familiar scenes. This, however, now 
remains to be seen. 

On the morning of the 11th, Judge Hadley, Rev. R. A. 



10 ABOARD AND ABROAD. 

Greene, Z. E. Stone, Esq., and the writer met on that magnifi- 
cent Cunard steamship, the Umbria, and, having regularly 
installed ourselves, all and singular, not into the mysteries 
of the free and accepted order of Ancient Masonr}^ but 
rather into that delightful order of good fellowship neces- 
sary to the preservation of harmony, proceeded to constitute 
ourselves a party with one mind and one purpose in the 
travels and explorations about to be made. It is easy to 
see that we are a congenial combination. We represent the 
majesty of the law, we are graced with the embodiment of 
the Christian virtues, we are editorially armed with a coat of 
"(Morning) Mail," and, finally, there is a humble repre- 
sentative of proprietary medicines which relieve the world 
from all those evils to which flesh is " Ayer." With such 
a company as that with which the writer is favored, who 
would not explore the mysteries of the old world, visit the 
catacombs, climb the pyramids, or dive into the bowels of 
the earth? 

The Umbria is one of the most magnificent of the com- 
pany's Atlantic fleet. It is of eight thousand tons burden, 
five hundred and twenty feet in length, and fitted in every 
conceivable way with the finest and best accommodations 
that art and skill have yet devised. It is divided into six 
water-tight compartments, so that, in case of collision or 
other misfortune, the damage would only extend to a single 
division, leaving all others intact, and the ship absolutely 
safe from foundering. 

At an early hour on the 11th passengers began to come 
on board. Bouquets, sent in compliment to those about 
to depart, literally filled the music room, representing hun- 



THE TOUBING QUABTETTE. H 

dreds of dollars in value, many being elegant designs of 
most exquisite exotics. Not less than fifteen hundred peo- 
ple must have assembled on the Umbria to wish " bon 
voyage " to five hundred and more departing travelers. 
The bright witticism and jolly repartee could often be heard, 
yet, amid all this gayety, tears- innumerable were shed, and 
hearts almost bursting with grief at the separations then and 
there taking place were enough to gain the sympathy of the 
most indifferent stranger. One of the gay features of the 
departure of the Umbria was the presence of Mr. J. J. 
O'Donohue, evidently one of New York's famous Tammany 
magnates. So great was the desire to " fall down and do 
him reverence" that a large steamer was chartered, which, 
crowded with passengers, accompanied the Umbria to Sandy 
Hook, where a parting salute was given, Mr. O'Doriohue 
vigorously waving the American flag. Here also our pilot 
was dropped, and we were left to span the mighty waters of 
the broad Atlantic ocean. Old Neptune has thus far been 
most wonderfully gracious, not only to the Umbria herself, 
but to all on board. This great ship goes steadily and 
smoothly on her way, creating not much more of that undu- 
lating motion than would be observed on a Sound steamer, 
and the passengers generally are ready to respond to the 
call of the gong. I need not add that the meals are served 
after the manner of a first-class hotel, and when I inform 
you that the five long tables which the dining-room contains 
are completely filled, and that many of the more magnificent 
flowers continue to be tastefully arranged, to give pomp and 
circumstance to the scene, it will be easy to imagine the 
beauty and splendor which still x)revails, although we are 
now so far out at sea. 



12 ABOABD AND ABBOAD. 

During the first evening, which was a clear and beautiful 
moonlight night, every passenger appeared to be on the alert 
to " take in" all that pertains to a first night at sea. Now 
and then a sail was to be seen, a steamer occasionally stood 
off from us, leaving a trail of smoke to mark its retiring 
course, and later we were left to observe only the moon and 
stars, and the never-ending expanse of water in every 
direction. 

Sunday morning dawned clearly, our noble ship still 
speeding on its way, but with not much more motion than 
on the day before, although more or less indications of 
" retchedness " began to appear. A very proper observance 
of the day was shown in the reading of the church service 
at ten o'clock by Captain McMickan, who performed the 
same with much dignity and fervor. In this service the 
prayer for Queen Victoria was coupled with one for the Pres- 
ident of the United States — certainly as thoughtful and 
delicate an act of courtesy as could well be imagined, con- 
sidering the varied nationality of the participants. The 
service was attended both by sailors and passengers, and 
the readiness and heartiness of the responsive portions 
must have been exceedingly gratifying to every churchman 
present. On retiring from the saloon the wonders of the 
sea again engaged' the attention of all, and now, after two 
days out, the passengers of the Umbria appear to be fast 
settling down to the idea that the true inwardness of a sea 
voyage is rest. Under present conditions, nothing could be 
more grateful to one wearied with the cares and perplexities 
of anything like professional life, and nothing could be 
more invigorating, in view of the future days of activity 



THE TOUBim QUARTETTE. 15 

and hope of usefulness which naturally inspire every well- 
balanced mind. 

We are at this writing on our fourth day out. The 
weather is still all that can be desired, and the sea remains 
as placid and beautiful as when we left Sandy Hook. It 
seems almost wonderful that we should escape so long the 
anticipated terror of our sea voyage, but the mal de mer has 
not yet manifested itself to any considerable extent. The 
fact that we have been traveling nearly two thousand miles 
in a direct course, with another thousand miles yet to be 
spanned before reaching Queenstown, affords some idea of 
the immensity of the Atlantic ocean. It may be imagined, 
if not realized ; yet the sense of security in our great vessel 
seems almost unlimited. Passengers are promenading the 
decks, chatting, reading, smoking, and indulging in various 
amusements, even to "horse billiards," children are playing, 
eating is an especially prominent exercise, and we are, in 
short, a happy family. 

The service of the Umbria is unexcelled and unexception- 
able. Politeness and attention on the part of the stewards 
are strikingly manifest, and everything is done to pro- 
mote comfort and happiness. Even the crew of the vessel 
are subjects of most favorable comment, but the most 
"pop-ular" of all is the cork-screw, which finds devotees 
innumerable, especially at the five and six o'clock dinners. 
The bracing sea air sharpens our appetites, our party are 
proverbially hungry, as well as thirsty, and although, as has 
been seriously remarked, Benjamin's mess is twice as great 
as that of any of his brethren, he continues to be an object of 
the greatest commiseration, for fear he will starve before 



14 ABOABD AND ABBOAD. 

reaching Queenstown. How much envy all this produces will 
doubtless be apparent in due time to the readers of the 
Morning Mail, who have here a most glorious representa- 
tive in wielding the pen as well as the knife and fork, and 
who discusses " chops and tomato sauce" in such a way as 
would have put even Pickwick himself to the blush. This 
Stone-y-hearted individual sends cable ( ?) messages to 
state-room 107, giving the latest Lowell news, not the least 
exciting being an account of a great fire at the corner of 
Middlesex and Kirk ( ?) streets, and the running away of 
Judge Hadley's horse, the animal having received a severe 
fright from the music of the Salvation Army. It is to be 
hoped that Judge Pickman will " mete out" to the Salva- 
tionists that measure of justice which the gravity of the case 
demands, and that this fine Arabian steed may speedily be 
restored to its usual rapid gait. 

Among the more noted passengers on board is Mr. Charles 
H. Dalton, recent treasurer of the Merrimack Manufacturing 
Company, who, with his wife, is on the way to Europe for a 
year of rest and recreation. Mr. Dalton is a native of 
Chelmsford, Mass., but early became a resident of Lowell. 
He received his education in the public schools of our city, 
is a very agreeable and intelligent gentleman, fully alive to 
all that pertains to Lowell's future growth and the continued 
development of its already great manufacturing interests. 

This (Thursday) morning, our sixth da}^ out, the sky is 
overcast and a light rain prevails, but the sea maintains its 
accustomed smoothness. Yesterday we saw in the distance 
a large ship, which Vv^as spoken, and one steamer. The even- 
ing previous we passed a couple of whales, sporting and 



THE TOURING QUARTETTE. 15 

spouting, after the manner so graphically illustrated in the 
picture books of my early days. The reality, however, was 
not quite so imposing and awe-inspiring as my youthful 
imagination had led me to expect. 

I presume that within the next thirty-six hours we shall 
approach the coast of Ireland, a description of which, as 
well as the remaining portion of my voyage, will be reserved 
for a future letter. 



LETTER II. 
AT LIVERPOOL 



The Local Quartette on Terra Firma — Impressions of 

Liverpool — Sunday Scenes — On to London 

VIA the Midland Eailway. 



London, May 22, L 

THE monotony of the voyage on the Umbria was broken 
on Friday evening. May 17, through a concert adver- 
tised during the day to be given in aid of the Seaman's 
Orphanage at Liverpool, of which Captain McMickan is one 
of the vice presidents. The performers proved to be mem- 
bers of the Albani Opera Company, Miss Jennie Kempton, 
and a few others who volunteered their services. The enter- 
tainment was given in the dining saloon, which was crowded 
to its utmost capacity, and the selections, although of a 
miscellaneous character, were of the highest order of excel- 
lence. The programme consisted of operatic selections, 
English and Italian songs, both sentimental and humorous, 
readings, flute and piano solos, the whole being under the 
musical direction of Signor Bevignani, one of the finest 
pianists and most accomplished accompanists it has ever 
been my good fortune to hear. The affair was presided over 



AT LIVEBPOOL. 17 

by Gen. James Grant "Wilson, of considerable military 
renown during the late war, who very happily introduced the 
several performers. During the performance a collection of 
more than $250 was taken, some portion of which, it was 
stated, would be devoted for the benefit of a similar orphan- 
age institution at Staten Island, New York. 

The entire voyage of the Umbria was remarkable for 
pleasant weather and a smooth sea, and the passage from 
Sandy Hook to Queenstown (the points between which 
''running time" is reckoned) was made in six days, six 
hours, forty-nine minutes. The best run in any one day was 
four hundred fifty-three miles. Between Queenstown and 
Liverpool a run of ninety miles was made in four hours, ten 
minutes. A fog, however, prevailed as the steamship 
entered St. George's Channel, and our progress was thereby 
considerably retarded. The music of the fog-horn resounded 
fearfully for two or three hours, during which the tide went 
out. When some twelve miles from Liverpool the Umbria 
was met by two of the Cunard Company's steam tenders, 
and the seven hundred mail bags were " dumped" into one, 
while almost as many passengers were transferred into 
the other. In this way a rather inglorious entrance into 
Liverpool was made, about seven o'clock in the evening. 
However, everyone was loud in praise of the Umbria and its 
officers, and this little episode in no way detracted from the 
general pleasure and interest of the voyage. Our part}^, we 
found, was looked upon as containing three clergymen and a 
layman, the latter being the only "reverend" gentleman 
among us. 

The arrival at Liverpool was one of some little excite- 



18 ABOARD AND ABBOAD. 

ment, although not of much confusion. The custom-house 
officers let us off easily upon our asseverations that we were 
not undertaking to smuggle rum, tobacco, or silver plate 
into Her Majesty's dominions, and we at once proceeded to 
the Grand Hotel, where we were located for the night. Here, 
at dinner, as if our reputation acquired on the steamship 
were still pursuing us, the waiter rather insisted that the 
best thing he could give us, at rather an unseasonable hour, 
was fried soles, and, at the risk of being ''sold," we 
accepted the same, and found great physical, if not spirit- 
ual, sustenance as the result of his recommendation. At 
nearly nine o'clock in the evening we walked through some 
of the principal streets, which were crowded with people. 
By this I wish to convey the idea that not only the side- 
walks but the streets themselves were literally crowded with 
human beings. Street musicians and venders of all sorts of 
things, from shoe-strings upwards, were plying their avoca- 
tions, old women were begging, children were importuning 
the passers-by to purchase matches, and, in fact, there 
seemed to be no end of bustle and excitement, yet all 
was comparatively quiet and orderly. In the streets we 
traversed there were drinking-saloons without number, all 
apparently overflowing with customers, and at every point 
"Walker's ale" seemed to be the one universal thing to 
be desired. In the midst of all this we noticed one single 
sign only for gospel teachings and spiritual refreshment, 
and here, truth compels me to say, the passage-way was 
entirely vacant. 

A hurried walk through the markets of Liverpool this 
Satui'day night afforded a remarkable sight. These mar- 



AT LIVEBPOOL. 19 

kets, located in long buildings, with various avenues, so to 
speak, are largely carried on, especially the fish markets, by 
women, and were crowded almost to suffocation. Baskets 
innumerable were being filled, and it seemed as if nothing 
could be imagined that could not be found in these places. 
Yet here, in all this bustle and turmoil, a spirit of quiet pre- 
vailed, as if beneath all there was a universal respect and 
consideration for those inalienable rights which lend to life 
its greatest charm as well as security. 

The streets of Liverpool present a modern appearance, 
the buildings are solid and substantial, and the statuary and 
monuments fine and imposing. Indeed, even in a very 
superficial view, such as we were able to gain, of this first 
English city, one cannot fail to be impressed with this ele- 
ment of taste and culture, which, it is presumed, will be 
found everywhere to prevail. Here, as will be the case, 
doubtless, everywhere in England, statues of Queen Victoria 
and Prince Albert are objects of prominent interest, and at 
once indicate the loyalty of British subjects to the crowned 
heads of this great and powerful nation. 

The stillness of Sunday morning was first broken by 
chimes of bells, exceedingly pleasant and grateful in their 
sweetness and solemnity, doubtless calls to early services in 
many of the churches. The ringing of the chimes was 
followed not long after by the music of a military band of 
much excellence, and, stepping out after breakfast, we 
found a large company of soldiers, known as the "vol- 
unteer militia," going through various evolutions in the 
square in front of St. George's Hall. The men were to 
attend service in one of the Catholic churches near by. 



20 ABOARD AND ABROAD. 

After the drill was over they niarched away at a very lively 
step, and then an equipage, with four-in-hand and liveried 
driver and tip-staffs, together with a dozen or more guards, 
was drawn up in front of the Great Northwestern Hotel to 
take two or three judges to church. These worthies 
appeared in due course, off they went, and the crowd dis- 
persed. It was a very simple thing to do, but was made 
the occasion of a pompous bit of ceremony which looked 
to my American eyes the very quintessence of nonsense. 
Judge Hadley remarked that should he or any Massachu- 
setts judge attempt anything of that sort it would be only 
for a single occasion in the year, as it would swallow up the 
salary for that length of time. 

At 11.35 a. m., instead of going to church, we took a 
train of the Midland Railway for London, a distance of 
about two hundred miles, and a most magnificent trip it 
proved to be. The country is all exceedingly fertile and 
highly cultivated, presenting the appearance of one contin- 
uous lawn. It is dotted with fruit and shade trees, the 
verdure is of a deep green, and the different estates or 
ownerships are, so far as I can judge, divided mainly 
by hedges, although in some portions were stone walls, all 
built, however, with almost a mathematical precision and 
regularity, as if everything was made subservient to taste 
and artistic skill. A portion of the way was quite moun- 
tainous and exceedingly picturesque, being through that part 
of England known as the "Peak of Derbyshire," and cov- 
ering the scene so graphically described by Sir Walter Scott 
in his "Peveril of the Peak." On these hills, stretching 
far away in the distance, the perfection of cultivation was 



AT LIVEBFOOL. 21 

everywhere to be seen. Herds of cattle and flocks of 
sheep were also prominent features of interest, and, as it 
was Sunday, the work-horses of these farms were appar- 
ently all out and enjoying a day of rest. In fact, with the 
exception of our railroad train, everything and everybody 
seemed in repose, and as we darted through the innumera- 
ble towns and villages there was manifestly a universal 
observance of the Sabbath. In many places could be seen 
large congregations going to and coming from church, and 
in this respect the scene was interesting and impressive. 
The English cars, as it is presumed every one knows, are 
divided into compartments, each holding, say, eight passen- 
gers, who enter at side doors, where they are locked in, the 
tickets being examined and taken up at stations, and not 
while the trains are in motion, as in our own country. This 
arrangement is similar, I believe, to that of the Boston 
and Lowell Railroad when it was opened in 1836. Ameri- 
can ingenuity has, however, discovered a way to accommo- 
date passengers and utilize time in this respect, and to 
afford various other conveniences and comforts to travelers ; 
improvements which Englishmen will probably not introduce 
for the next century, if ever, so great is their apparent 
repugnance to any change in the methods originally adopted 
by them. In the underground railroads, however, with 
stops* every two or three minutes, this system is not so 
objectionable, as by it passengers are discharged and 
received with surprising celerity. The conductors on these 
lines have nothing to do with tickets, these being purchased 
before entering the stations and delivered at the exit, or, as 
the signs invariably read, " way out." Although the trains 



22 ABOABD AND ABEOAD. 

of the Midland Railway make, for the reason already given, 
occasional and what seemed unnecessarily long stops, they 
run with great speed. On some of the down grades the 
speed was simply terrific. The cars, however, remained on 
the track, and we arrived safely soon after five o'clock p. m. 
On approaching the city we found ourselves, when several 
miles away, suddenly surrounded by buildings of large and 
even imposing dimensions, many evidently being public 
institutions of various kinds. Finally we dashed into a tun- 
nel, at the end of which we landed in the great station of 
the Midland Railway, whence we emerged into the crowded 
thoroughfares of one of the greatest of all the great cities 
in the world, London. 

For the benefit of my untraveled readers, I may here state 
that the English system of railroading differs somewhat 
from ours. So far as observed, no bell is attached to any 
locomotive. The signal for a train to start is given by the 
guard (conductor) by means, apparently, of a little tin 
whistle, which is answered by a shriek — short and sharp — 
from the engine. 

There are no grade crossings in all England. Railroad 
crossings, so far as both railroads and carriage-ways are 
concerned, are invariably built over or under each other, 
rendering accidents, so frequent in America for want of this 
precaution, impossible. There are also, except at terminal 
points, two booking or ticket offices at every station, one on 
each side of the track, and crossings are invariably made 
by means of a substantially-covered foot-bridge, built over 
the track. No person is allowed to cross a railroad track, 
at a station, except as above, and, in fact, no one could do 



AT LIVEBPOOL. 23 

it with any degree of ease, the platforms being so elevated 
as almost entirely to prevent such a thing. 

In France, on the contrary, grade crossings are frequent, 
but in that country the highways are closed, with substantial 
gates on either side of the track, during the passing of trains, 
the approach of each train being invariably announced by 
the vigorous blowing of a trumpet or horn. This is done, 
if I may judge from what I saw, mainly by women, who, 
while the train goes by, stand with military precision, hold- 
ing the aforesaid musical instrument (?) over one arm, as if 
emblematic of a duty well performed, and as an assurance 
that the " coast is clear." 



LETTER III. 
FIUST DAYS IN LONDON. 



Sight-Seeing by the Lowell Tourists — Interesting 

Places Visited — A Marked Courtesy — 

Hampton and Kew. 

London, May 24, 1889. 

ONE great ambition and dream of my life has been to 
visit London, to see for myself that famous English city, 
to gaze upon its almost endless features of historical inter- 
est, to tread the same ground with those who have in the 
past wielded the destinies of the mother country, to look 
upon the palaces of its living, the graves of its dead, and 
to convert into a reality what must ever otherwise have 
remained for me in a sort of mental obscurity. That dream 
and ambition have now been realized, and London looms up 
before me. Of its magnitude no one, until it is actually 
seen, can have any conception, and for an utter stranger to 
attempt to give an adequate idea of it would, of course, be 
absurd. 

After arriving in the city our party at once proceeded to 
the Sainsbury House, a "private hotel," located at 15 Nor- 



FIB ST DAYS IN LONDON. 25 

folk Street, Strand, where lodgings and breakfasts are fur- 
nished at reasonable rates. There are several such hotels 
in the immediate vicinity, and all, doubtless, are kept on the 
same general plan. The location is central, if any one 
place in London can be called central. It is, of course, 
near the Strand, and also near to the Underground Railway, 
to several of the many lines of omnibuses, and to the lines of 
local steamers plying on the Thames, so that the facilities 
for reaching almost any point are unsurpassed. The first 
thing we did on the morning after our arrival was to take 
seats on the top of an omnibus, which amount — that is, 
after you "mount" the omnibus — to an observation car, 
where for a penny (two cents) you can ride almost to your 
heart's content. A ride of this sort gives one such a 
" bird's-eye view" of the city as can be obtained from no 
other available vehicle. Our first landing was at what is 
known as " The Monument." This is located on Fish-street 
Hill, and consists of a fluted column, two hundred and two 
feet in height, designed by Wren, and erected in 1671-77, 
in commemoration of the great fire of London. The fire 
took place in 1666, destroying the houses and churches of 
four hundred and sixty streets. To enter the monument 
there is a small admission fee of 3d. (six cents), and a 
winding staircase of three hundred and forty-five steps 
must be mounted to gain the top. From this an admirable 
view is obtained of London bridge, which, it is estimated, 
is daily crossed by no less than fifteen thousand vehicles and 
one hundred thousand pedestrians. 

From the monument we wended our way to Trafalgar 
Square, which is said to be one of the finest open places in 



26 ABOABD AND ABBOAD. 

London. It is dedicated to Lord Nelson, in commemoration 
of his death at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In this 
square is a massive granite column of the Corinthian style of 
architecture, one hundred and forty-five feet in height, 
crowned with a statue of Nelson. From here we went to 
Westminster Abbey, where several hours were occupied 
in a most profoundly interesting way. The various tran- 
septs of this magnificent structure are literally filled with 
monuments, almost innumerable, of the most elaborate, 
costly, and beautiful designs of workmanship and finish, and 
beneath its marble floor are buried many distinguished per- 
sons, dear to every American heart. Of all that I saw 
none more deeply impressed me than the monument to Han- 
del and the grave of Charles Dickens, the latter designated 
by a simple and modest slab, over which thousands of people 
must daily pass. A bust of this distinguished writer stands 
near by. During the time we were at the Abbey the evening 
service of the English church was performed, with a full 
(boy) choir and organ. Hundreds of people attended. 

In the evening we visited Madam Tussaud's wax-work 
exhibition, which, as everybody knows, contains a great and 
interesting collection of wax figures of ancient and modern 
notabilities. All, if not accurate likenesses, look exceed- 
ingly life-like, and at times it seems almost impossible to 
distinguish between wax and flesh and blood. One of our 
party, as we passed the Queen Victoria group, complimented 
Her Majesty's waxship by saying that it presented quite a 

striking likeness of Mrs. W . It was, certainly, a 

much more correct portrait than the representations found 
of Presidents Lincoln, Grant, Garfield, and Johnson, which 



FIBST DAYS IN LONDON. 27 

were little better than caricatures — bearing but slight resem- 
blance to these illustrious individuals. President Benjamin 
Harrison is already assigned a corner in this remarkable 
exhibition, but he is made to look much more youthful than 
the photographs and paintings of him which I have seen. 

The next morning we devoted a few hours to the National 
Gallery. This is in a building in the Grecian style of archi- 
tecture, located near Trafalgar Square, and completed in 
1838 at a cost of nearly half a million dollars. It con- 
tains eighteen rooms, all of which are filled with the most 
magnificent works of art that can be imagined, including 
the originals of paintings almost innumerable from all the 
various " schools," so called, in the world, great numbers 
of which were strikingly familiar, through steel engravings 
and other copies so often seen in the States. From here we 
rode to the vicinity of Buckingham palace, taking an out- 
side view of royalty, and on the way stopped to listen to 
three military bands — the Grenadiers, the Cold Stream 
Guards, and the Scotch Fusileers — rehearsing in antici- 
pation of their duties on the Queen's birthday, which takes 
place on the 24th inst. We then proceeded to walk through 
St. James's and Green parks. In the latter place we took a 
seat on one of the settees in the avenue, where we were 
soon after passed by a distinguished looking couple, imme- 
diately after which the gentleman turned back and accosted 
us with the remark, " You gentlemen are from America, are 
you not ? " Upon the confession that we were Americans, 
our inquisitor entered into a lively and general conversation 
in regard to London, its attractions, etc., etc., and as we 
walked on he asked if we would like to visit the House of 



28 ABOABD AND ABROAD, 

Commons. Upon the assurance that we would be pleased 
to do so, and our handing him our cards, he very politely 
offered to send us tickets of admission for Friday, and upon 
retiring gave the name of Mr. George Trevelyan. This 
gentleman proved to be the Right Honorable George 0. Trev- 
elyan, the son of Lady Trevelyan, sister of Lord Macau- 
lay, and, therefore, nephew to the great historian. Mr. 
Trevelyan is the author of " Macaulay's Life and Letters," 
and was for some time secretary for Ireland. The promised 
tickets of admission were duly received and gratefully 
acknowledged. The polite and delicate attention of this 
gentleman made a deep impression upon us, and it will be 
one of the most delightful reminiscences of our visit to 
London. 

A day later we visited Kew Gardens, one of the most 
charming spots that can be imagined. The gardens are 
said to contain every known tree and plant in the world. 
Of course, they contain numerous hot-houses, filled with 
ferns, orchids, and cacti, and here, in the beautiful groves, 
we heard, for the first time, the pensive song of the cuckoo. 
It would be pleasant to enlarge upon these gardens did 
space permit. 

Hampton Court was the next scene of interest. This 
palace, which is the finest specimen of royal dwellings I 
ever expect to behold, was originally built by Cardinal 
Woolsey, and afterwards presented by him to Henry VIII. 
We saw in this palace seventeen rooms, including the guest 
chamber, the presence chamber, the audience chamber, the 
bed chamber, the dressing chamber, the dining room, etc., 
etc. These are all filled with the most magnificent pictures, 



FIBST DAYS m LONDON. 29 

the most elaborate frescoing, and all that sort of thing, yet 
the effect produced was almost that of depression ; to think 
that a human being, without any will or merit of his own, 
may live in such regal magnificence, and that the great mass 
of people, no matter how poverty-stricken, must support 
such gigantic extravagance ! Hampton Court is sixteen 
miles away from London. 

The Inns of Court were also visited, and half a dozen or 
more courts, of various grades, were found to be in session. 
The judges and barristers all wear wigs and gowns, and 
everywhere use quill pens, showing how strong is the adher- 
ence to ancient customs, and how necessary it is to continue 
the supply of "geese" to meet the demand for the afore- 
said quills. Among the courts entered we visited the ses- 
sions and heard something of the Parnell investigation. 
Mr. William O'Brien was on the stand and was being cross- 
examined by the government. 

We have also visited the Bunhill Fields Cemetery, and 
stood beside the graves of John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and 
Dr. Isaac Watts ; we have seen the First Wesleyan Chapel 
and the grave of its founder. Rev. John Wesley ; we have 
been to the grave of John Milton, the poet, at St. Giles's, 
Cripplegate, and to several other churches, including St. 
Paul's Cathedral, where we attended an afternoon service, 
talked with each other from opposite points in the whisper- 
ing gallery, and visited the crypt, wherein is the sarcopha- 
gus of the Duke of Wellington, and also that of Lord 
Nelson. Much more ought to be said of this most interest- 
ing and sacred spot, but I forbear. 



LETTER IV. 
ROUND ABOUT LONDON. 



Our Quartette Busy Sight-Seeing — The Restaurants 
— Queen Victoria's Birthday — Active Church- 
goers — Listening to Spurgeon and 
Farrar — Down the Thames 
to Greenwich. 

London, May 28, 1889. 

OUR first visit ttiis morning was to the Church of All Hal- 
lows, Barking. In the graveyard connected therewith 
Archbishop Laud was buried, after his execution on 
Tower Hill in 1643, but his body was afterwards removed 
to the Chapel of St. John's College, Oxford. Thence we 
went to the Church of St. Olave, interesting as having been 
saved from the great London fire, and as the church once 
frequented by vSamuel Pepys. In it is a large three-manual 
organ built, it is said, more than one hundred years ago. A 
look at the worn key-boards of the instrument gave ample 
evidence of the truth of the statement. The next object of 
interest was The Tower, or ancient state prison of London, 
said to be, historically, the most interesting spot in England. 
Even now it is gloomy and repulsive in appearance, and 



ROUND ABOUT LONDON. 31 

everything in and about it is suggestive of "war, blood, 
and carnage." The various divisions of the Tower are full 
of armories, including old swords, guns, cannon, coats of 
mail almost innumerable, and every sort of equipment sug- 
gestive of all that is horrible and torturing. The original 
block on which Lord Lovat and many others were beheaded 
is preserved in Queen Elizabeth's Armory. Lord Lovat 
was the last person beheaded on Tower Hill, and the last 
person beheaded in England. The crown jewels are now in 
the Wakefield Tower, so called, and represent, I am told, a 
pecuniary value of fifteen millions of dollars, which it is 
easy to conceive may be the fact. I was more than glad to 
leave this place. 

From here, as previously intimated, we went to the House 
of Commons, where we were politely provided with front 
seats in the '' Members' Gallery." Shortly after our 
appearance we received a call from Mr. Trevelyan. We 
listened to a three hours' exhaustive debate on the subject 
of free schools in Scotland. During the afternoon Glad- 
stone, that "grand old man," came in and remained for 
half an hour, but took no part in this interesting debate. 

By way of a little digression I will here write a word 
about London restaurants, which we often visit. The food 
is fairly good, and we find about the usual varieties of other 
cities, but the proprietors have a very remarkable way of 
charging for every little thing separately, to swell their bills, 
including a small sum for attendance, and then every waiter 
expects, and, in fact, demands, a "tip" extra, so that you 
are expected to pay for about everything except breathing, 
on which there appears to have been no way yet discovered 



32 ABOARD AND ABBOAD. 

of levying a tax. The water is horrible and unsafe to 
drink, and when, for personal reasons, wine, beer, and all 
other kindred beverages are " ruled out," the probability of 
choking to death seems imminent. The fact is, the great 
mistake our party made in leaving Lowell was in not arrang- 
ing to have four carboys of my favorite brand of Thisselsia 
Spring water sent over by every Saturday's steamer. This 
old-fashioned and ancient way of doing things is continued, 
and probably always will be, because it is "English, you 
know ;" and in further illustration of this we observed that 
members of the House of Commons sat through the entire 
session with their hats on, as if even this old and barbarous 
tradition must forever be preserved. 

Although the Queen's birthday comes on the 24th of May 
(this is her seventieth) the event is never officially cele- 
brated until the Saturday following, which is then made a 
full, instead of a partial, holiday. If one may judge from 
the hundreds of thousands of people seen on the occasion 
of the " trooping of the colors," the event must be regarded 
as one of very special significance. The first demonstra- 
tion seen was by special ticket, through the kindness and 
influence of a friend, where we obtained an admirable posi- 
tion from an elevated stand, and a perfect sight of the 
review of a great body of soldiers in St. James's Park ; the 
bands and drum corps of the brigade being stationed near 
the centre of the grounds and playing most exquisitely 
while all this was going on. An occasional strain of " God 
Save the Queen" immediately caused every head to be 
uncovered. There were present and seen at the review the 
Prince of Wales, commander-in-chief, who appeared in full 



BOUND ABOUT LONDON. 33 

uniform on horseback, the Duke of Cambridge, Sir Garnet 
Wolseley, and numerous other notable officers of the staff. 
Near the close of the ceremony the Princess of Wales, one 
young princess, Prince George, son of the Prince of Wales, 
and other scions of royalty appeared in carriages and were 
duly honored. 

Hyde Park was next visited and is one of the most fre- 
quented and lively places in London. Here was a very 
great parade of volunteer militia. Here also was an ex- 
hibition of one of the magnificent coaching clubs of London, 
known as the Four-in-hand Club. Twenty-two of these 
turnouts passed a given point, in rapid succession, and 
afforded an unusually fine opportunity to view these elegant 
equipages. Private carriages, equestrians and equestri- 
ennes, without number, with horses beautiful almost beyond 
compare, completed this unique and most interesting 
spectacle . 

Near this point is the Albert Memorial, erected to the 
memory of the late Prince Consort Albert. This monument 
is embellished with a profusion of bronze and marble statues, 
and its base is adorned with one hundred and sixty-nine 
figures, in marble, representing artists, poets, and musicians, 
of every period. At the corners of the steps leading to 
the base are four pedestals bearing allegorical figures, rep- 
resenting the four quarters of the globe. This monument is 
one hundred andt seventy-five feet in height and is the most 
magnificent of any yet seen. 

On our. return we dropped into the St. Clement Danes 
Church, and took a seat, for a moment, in the pew once 
occupied by Dr. Samuel Johnson, in which are a modest 



34 ABO ABB AND ABROAD. 

tablet to his memory and the box, or rather the drawer, in 
which he kept his church books. Then we went to Temple 
Church, which was not open, and here in the churchyard 
found the grave of Oliver Goldsmith, who died in 1774. 

Sunday, May 26, has been rainy, foggy, and disagreeable. 
Nevertheless, this morning we visited the Tabernacle of the 
great and popular preacher, Mr. Spurgeon. We were 
exceedingly fortunate, in a vast congregation of six thou- 
sand people, or as many as the Tabernacle would hold, to 
have seats assigned us within ten feet of the platform from 
which this distinguished divine speaks. We heard one of 
his characteristic sermons from Galatians iii. 10, "For as 
many as are of the works of the law are under the curse." 
The music is congregational and is conducted by a precentor, 
without organ or other instrument, except a tuning-fork. 
The effect is hearty, but far from artistic. In the afternoon 
we heard the venerable Archdeacon Farrar, at Westminster 
Abbey, his text being taken from St. Luke xv. 20, the sub- 
ject being " The Prodigal's Forgiveness." The Abbey was 
crowded to excess, many persons standing during the entire 
service to listen to this eloquent and highly gifted preacher. 

Monday opened rainy and foggy, and proved to be a 
" yellow day," such as was experienced in Lowell several 
years ago, when at midday the streets became dark, gas was 
generally lighted, and many of our more timid and supersti- 
tious citizens thought the end of all things was at hand. 
Not so in London. The Jehus all drove with their accus- 
tomed recklessness, the myriads of human beings with which 
the city is thronged pursued their usual ways and avocations 
"Pell Mell," (or rather Pall Mall, for we were on this 



BOUND ABOUT LONDON. 35 

street about that time) , and we went to the British Museum. 
The immense building is arranged, I think, in seven sections, 
and contains books, manuscripts, prints, drawings. Oriental, 
British, mediaeval, Greek, and Roman antiquities, coins, med- 
als, etc., etc., and, as it seemed to me, everything else under 
the sun. It is simply bewildering in its immensity, and one 
could remain there indefinitely without seeing half its beau- 
ties. What greatly attracted my attention was a page of the 
original score of "As Pants the Hart," by Handel. There 
were also several other interesting musical reminiscences. 
Scores of young lady artists were at the museum, copying 
various works of art, many, as it seemed to my unpractised 
eye, with great success. In the Southern Egyptian gallery 
is the celebrated " Stone of Rosetta," from which were trans- 
lated the hieroglyphic languages of ancient Egypt. The 
Natural History Museum,, containing the natural history 
collections of the British Museum, which has been open 
about eight, years, and is situated on Cromwell Road, is a 
marvel of all that pertains to ornithology, mineralogy, bot- 
any, etc., and is of unceasing interest in every way. The 
South Kensington Museum, although not so extensive as the 
British, is quite its equal in works of the highest style of 
art, and includes an almost endless variety of terracotta 
pieces, in busts and otherwise, and of Italian majolica. 
Here is also to be found almost every conceivable kind of 
early musical instruments, including a harpsichord which 
belonged to Handel, a German finger organ owned by Mar- 
tin Luther, and a violoncello once the property of Haydn. 
All the old instruments having key-boards, after the manner 
of the piano forte, were confined to about four octaves. 



36 ABOAED AND ABBOAD. 

One of the remarkable sights in the city of London is to 
be obtained by taking one of the Thames steamers, from 
the deck of which miles of warehouses and hundreds of 
steamships and sailing vessels may be seen, thus affording 
some idea of the immensity of the commercial interests of 
this great city. A trip from Temple Pier to Greenwich Hos- 
pital and Park, a distance of some ten miles, gave us a ver}" 
fine opportunity to view the interesting spectacle. 

Greenwich Hospital occupies the site of an old royal pal- 
ace built in 1433. In it Henry VIII. and his daughters 
Mary and Elizabeth were born. In 1694 the palace was 
converted into a hospital for aged and disabled sailors, the 
number of whom, within the last quarter of a century, has 
been very greatly reduced. In one department is what is 
known as the Painted Hall, containing the naval gallery of 
pictures and portraits which commemorate the naval victories 
and heroes of Great Britain. Here, among many others, is 
to be found a copy from an Italian original of the portrait 
of Christopher Columbus, in which every American cannot 
fail to be interested. In this vicinity also is to be found 
Greenwich Park, famous for its fine old chestnut trees, one 
of which measured eighteen feet in circumference. The 
park is also famous as a favorite resort of the " middlers" 
of London on Sundays and holidays. Here, likewise, situ- 
ated on a high eminence, is the Greenwich Royal Observatory, 
from which the correct time of all England, as well as other 
countries, is determined. I set my own watch by the stand- 
ard clock, placed in the wall which surrounds the observa- 
tory, on this 28th day of May, 1889, at 1.26 p. m., which is 
a little more than five hours earlier than the given time in 



BOUND ABOUT LONDON. 37 

Lowell. Every school boy has heard of and been taught 
about Greenwich time, and it is a very great pleasure for me 
to record that I personally went there and " took it." The 
time is given, daily, at 1 o'clock p. m. by the descent of a 
large colored ball, or rather balloon, which at the instant 
descends many feet. 



LETTER V. 
LONDON'S PUBLIC RESORTS. 



The Crystal Palace — The Parks of London, and, in 
Passing, a Hint as to How Public Work in Gen- 
eral Should be Done — Permanence and 
Excellence Characterize English 
Work — The Theatres. 

London, May 31, 1889. 

NO American would think of visiting London without 
including the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, which is 
seven miles from London bridge and reached by the London, 
Dover, and Calais Railroad, the station at Sydenham con- 
necting directly with the palace. A third-class fare for the 
round trip, including admission to the palace, is Is. 6d , or 
about thirty-six cents. The palace was opened, it will be 
remembered, in 1854, and, as we speedily found, continues 
to be a great centre of attraction. In it are embraced 
copies of the architecture and sculpture of all the most 
highly civilized nations, a very elaborate collection of mod- 
ern paintings, and, in a word, an almost endless variety of 



LONDON'S PUBLIC BESOBTS. 39 

useful and ornamental articles, of almost every conceivable 
design, to attract and induce strangers and others to pur- 
chase. The building is mainly made of glass, is one hun- 
dred and seventy-five feet in height, and the general effect is 
that of being in the open air. 

After a few hours spent in walking through the building, 
and taking, of course, only the most superficial view of 
what is there, and what has been described over and over 
again, I was attracted by a printed programme announcing 
the "special arrangements" for the day, which were so 
very much to my taste that I will endeavor to give some 
account of them, reiterating the fact that all was included 
in the railroad and admission fee above stated. First, at 
12.30, in the centre transept, an instrumental concert was 
given, by the " Company's Orchestral Band," consisting of 
about thirty picked musicians, who performed a programme 
of great merit, including the overture to " Martha," selec- 
tions from " Lucrezia Borgia," " Tannhauser," a waltz by 
Waldteufel, and Schubert's serenade, as a cornet solo. At 
1.45 came an organ recital by Mr. E. Watson Brewster, 
who gave Mendelssohn's sonata No. 2, an adagio by Mozart, 
a vigorous selection by Bach, and Meyerbeer's " Coronation 
March" from "The Prophet." At 2.30 the Company's 
Military Band performed half a dozen waltzes, polkas, 
marches, etc. At 3.30, in the theatre, the Orchestral Band 
again appeared. This time Mozart's symphony in E flat — 
four movements — was played entire, together with half a 
dozen other selections, including the overture to "Ray- 
mond," by Ambroise Thomas, the whole affording one of 
the richest musical treats of my life. Two more concerts 



40 ABOABD AND ABB AD, 

— one each by the Military Band and the organist — were to 
follow in the evening. A notice also appeared that on Sat- 
urday, June 22, Mendelssohn's "Elijah" would be given at 
the Crystal Palace by three thousand i^erformers. If in the 
vicinity at the time, I hope to hear this. It may be well 
here to add that the gardens connected with the Crystal 
Palace cover an area of two hundred acres, and are laid out 
in terraces, embellished with flower-beds, shrubberies, foun- 
tains, statuary, etc., the whole presenting a spectacle of 
great beauty and magnificence. 

Our next visit has been made memorable to us, on your 
Memorial Day, by passing the most of it at Eegent's Park, 
another of the splendid "breathing places" of the great 
city of London, as well as one of the largest. This park 
embraces four hundred and seventy-two acres of ground. 
Within its precincts are several private residences. Here 
also are the Zoological Gardens, and, if I may say so, the 
home of Barnum's celebrated Jumbo, which certainly was 
taken from a most attractive spot to meet with his untimely 
death in America. In these gardens may be found the 
greatest variety of animals of every description, birds, rep- 
tiles, etc., etc., including many interesting specimens of 
fishes. What particularly impressed me was the excellent 
accommodation provided for all these wild and very many 
dangerous captives, and to what extent many seemed to 
have access to free air and all but liberty itself. Much of 
this exhibition is out of doors, and consequently upon an 
entirely different plan from what is generally seen in a trav- 
eling menagerie. A very beautiful part of Regent's Park is 
Primrose Hill, from the summit of which a remarkable 



LONDON'S PUBLIC BESOBTS. 41 

view of the city of London is to be had. A " Shakespeare 
Oak," which was planted on the southern slope of Primrose 
Hill in 1864, on the tercentenary celebration of the great 
dramatist's birth, is readily observed. It is inclosed in a 
high fence, and has now attained the proportions of one of 
our full-grown apple trees. 

In visiting these parks one cannot fail to be impressed 
with the view to permanence as well as excellence of every- 
thing that is done, to make the same pleasant and attractive 
to the masses of the people of London. Personal interest, 
if such a thing exists, is sacrificed to the public good, and 
it is here that we have a good word for England. The gov- 
erning powers, certainly in this particular, are well directed, 
and throw an everlasting discredit on any municipal govern- 
ment which is actuated only by the principle of bargain and 
trade. With all Lowell has done, for instance, with Fort 
Hill Park, and beautiful as that is thought to be, it is but 
the merest shadow of what is to be found in the most 
unfrequented part of a London park. Lowell boasts of its 
one Statue of Victory, which is a very beautiful thing, and 
the generous gift of one gentleman, the late Dr. J. C. Ayer, 
copies of which I have seen in this city ; but think of only 
a single specimen of such art in our large city when here 
you see such things at almost every turn ! Picture Fort Hill 
Park with a monument two hundred feet high at its summit, 
and fifty statues scattered over it, with a magnificent gate- 
way, and you will even then have but a slight idea of pub- 
lic grounds in London. 

I have also been struck with the magnificent avenues both 
in the city of London and in the surrounding country. 



42 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

where such things as bad paving and sandy or rocky roads 
are unknown. Why? Because what is done is done per- 
fectly, both as a matter of business and of economy. There 
is not a road or an avenue leading out of the city of Lowell 
that would be tolerated in England for a single day. Evi- 
dently the appropriations are not exhausted here with the 
completion of every job, and wire-pullers are not consid- 
ered at the public crib at the expense of their neighbors. 
To be sure, Lowell is a comparatively new city — America 
itself is new, for that matter — but not too infantile or 
youthful to begin to shape itself for something more sub- 
stantial and noble than its present, and perhaps its past, 
policy has yet indicated. There is many a corner in many 
an old church or gallery in London, where may be found 
works of art, culture, and refinement of a pecuniary value 
that would be considered sufficient to bankrupt our munici- 
pality, but which, in the flight of time, and through a true 
historical spirit, have been placed therein to remain for 
ages, in commemoration of some good man or work. 
Think what our city churches might become, and what inter- 
est would centre in our public buildings, if in their erection 
and furnishings anything like European ideas, skill, and 
taste found a place. 

Of the general appearance of London it is safe to 
say that it differs from American cities. The fact that 
it was incorporated some eight hundred or nine hun- 
dred years ago would seem to be sufficient evidence that- 
it must have, in localities, a very ancient look. Its streets, 
also, appear to have been laid out without regard to plan or 
system. Consequently they are crooked and irregular. The 



LONDON'S PUBLIC BESOBTS. 43 

buildings in the older localities, although solid and substan- 
tial, bear a dingy and sombre look, while those in the newer 
streets appear modern, and as clean and bright as they can 
be, considering their constant exposure to London smoke. 
The main streets are crowded with vehicles, including omni- 
buses, hansoms, and other public carriages, interspersed 
with private turnouts, especially in the afternoon, but all 
are heavy and more or less clumsy, and all turn to the left. 
To this end signs, " Keep to the left," are everywhere seen. 
Such light carriages as appear in our streets would be in the 
utmost danger of being wrecked, although I have thus far 
observed but one collision. No driver, however, male or 
female, seems for a moment to regard the streets as places 
of danger, but woe to the pedestrian who undertakes to 
cross the street, unless he is an " artful dodger," or under 
the protection of a policeman, whose wave of the hand is a 
law in itself. An Englishman's outfit is a "plug" hat and 
an umbrella — a reminder of the Georgia costume, which is 
said to be "a shirt-collar and a pair of spurs." One can 
step into the street in fair weather and before he walks a 
block find himself in a shower. As a rule there is rain in 
London every day. The streets are full of venders of small 
wares, matches, etc. That recent Yankee invention, " pigs 
in clover," seems to be just now one of the staple commodi- 
ties in this line of traffic. 

There are, it is said, fifty theatres in London. The two 
or three that some of our party have visited have shown, 
from the crowds present, that this class of amusements is 
regarded with great favor, and helps to swell the attractions 
of this wonderful city. The sterling comedy, " Still Waters 



44 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

Run Deep," drew an audience in full dress, which presented 
quite as imposing a spectacle to American eyes as the stage 
itself ; the ballet found plenty of devotees in the humbler 
walks of life; and Gilbert and Sullivan's opera, ''The 
Yeoman of the Guard," attracted a general conglomeration 
of what may be called the lowers, the middlers, and the 
(h) uppers. The opera was finely set. Miss Geraldine 
Ulmar, well known to Lowell opera-goers, sustained a prom- 
inent part, and the music, though generally light, is briglit 
and melodious, and ranks well with what the writer has 
heard of Sullivan's productions in the operatic line. 



LETTER VI. 
IN THE GAY CAPITAL. 



The Jolly Quartette in Paris — The Exposition — The 
American Display Meagre Compared with 
Others — The Louvre. 

Paris, June 7, 1889. 

HAVING- arranged to remain a day longer in London than 
was first intended, our party visited Kensal Green Ceme- 
tery on Saturday, June 1, reaching the place by omnibus and 
passing through many of London's most beautiful and at- 
tractive streets. The distance from Charing Cross is five 
miles and the fare is 5d. This cemetery was laid out in 
1832. It covers an area of sixty acres and is said to 
contain seventy thousand graves. The tombstones are gen- 
erally upright slabs, such as are common in our graveyards, 
and the monuments are not especially noteworthy. In this 
cemetery are the graves of William M. Thackeray, Anthony 
Trollope, Thomas Hood, Sidney Smith, Leigh Hunt, John 
Lothrop Motley, our former minister to England, and that of 
his wife, Mary Elizabeth, which we were fortunate enough 
to find, and of Mme. Tietjens, the great singer, Charles 



46 ABOABD AND ABROAD. 

Mathews, the actor, and other prominent persons, which we 
were not fortunate enough to discover. The artist of our 
party, Judge Hadley, made pencil sketches of the graves of 
Thackeray and Hood, on the summit of the monument of the 
latter of which and just beneath a bronze bust, are the words, 
" He sang the song of the shu't." The monument also bears 
the inscription of the dates of the birth and death of himself 
and wife, and the fact that the shaft was raised by public 
subscription. The day we visited this place was sunny and 
beautiful, and, as if to make the scene doubly impressive, a 
funeral procession entered and passed us, "with slow and 
measured tread," while we were standing at one of the 
above-named illustrious graves. 

Nothing could have surpassed the beautj^ and loveliness 
of our ride, as we left London for Paris, through that part 
of England lying between London and New Haven. During 
the two weeks intervening since we reached the country the 
foliage and verdure seemed to have attained their most 
perfect condition, and, adding to this a clear June day, 
nothing seemed wanting to complete the picture. As we 
approached the sea, however, the ground became less fertile, 
and the chalk formation with which the country thereabout 
abounds presented a unique and interesting spectacle. The 
distance by rail, from London to the coast, was fifty-six 
miles. 

At New Haven we took a steamer for Dieppe, France. 
The crossing of the English Channel — a distance, between 
these points, of sixty miles — is a part of the trip much 
dreaded by travelers on account of the usually rough and 
choppy condition of the sea. It is sometimes accounted 



IN THE GAY CAPITAL. 47 

even worse than a trip across the Atlantic itself, so far as 
exposure to sea-sickness is concerned. Our party, however, 
found it a really delightful portion of the journey, and 
derived great enjoyment from it. The approach to the 
French soil was picturesque, and as we entered the basin, 
so called, the wharves were lined with pleasure-seekers 
(although it was Sunday), soldiers, and children, almost 
without number. Going through the customs department 
proved a mere formality, our valises not even being opened. 

Here we took the cars for Paris, a distance of about one 
hundred miles, and while waiting for the train to start were 
overrun with children begging for a "sou" — we could un- 
derstand French enough for that — and as an occasional 
penny was thrown out the scramble to obtain it was quite 
worth the cost of the exhibition. Here also were to be 
seen some of the most degraded female specimens of 
humanity that could possibly be imagined. As the train 
moved away and passed through the city we observed a fish 
market *'in the full tide of successful operation," but the 
people generally looked indolent and, at the same time, 
happy. 

The country through which we passed between Dieppe 
and Paris, although pleasant and even beautiful, is less so 
than England, because it is less cultivated, but in many 
places it bore a resemblance to New England, and that, of 
course, was an exceedingly agreeable feature. The princi- 
pal place on our route was Rouen, of which and the river 
Seine we only obtained the most superficial view from the 
train, but enough to impress us with the size and general 
magnificence of that city. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is 



48 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

one of its grandest Gothic edifices, the St. Ouen is another, 
and several more were to be distinctly seen as the train 
passed. Our arrival at Paris was just at night in the midst 
of a heavy thunder shower. 

The first day after our arrival was passed in taking a 
general survey of this great and wonderful city. It has a 
light and airy appearance, the very opposite to that of Lon- 
don. The buildings look much more modern, the main 
streets are wide and wonderfully clean — in fact, are said to 
be actuall}^ washed during the night — the sidewalks are 
wide, and are in many instances used as cafes in front of 
the hotels, and there appears to be no end of drinking beer 
and light wines, of which the people seem excessively fond, 
although everything is orderly and quiet and such a thing as 
drunkenness unseen. Another striking feature is what 
appear to be the wooden pavements covered with asphalt 
and in a most perfect condition. This paving, which I 
intended to mention earlier, is also extensively used in the 
most crowded thoroughfares of London, and it seemed 
strange to see it in such a perfect and well preserved con- 
dition, when it has proved so imperfect and has been to 
such an extent discarded in our own streets. The inference 
can only be a want of practical knowledge on our part in the 
laying of these pavements ; a lack which can and should 
be remedied. On these Parisian boulevards and streets, 
although crowded with vehicles of every kind, the stillness 
is such that eyes and not ears are required to keep from 
being run over at the crossings, although drivers are not 
wholly inconsiderate of pedestrians. To one not familiar 
with the language Paris has its disadvantages. 



IN THE GAY CAPITAL. 49 

We were not long in finding or being found by Doctors 
Irish and Dutton, with whom we passed a couple of hours 
very delightfully. These gentlemen appear to have thor- 
oughly enjoyed their stay in Paris, and to have become 
entirely familiar with French manners and customs. They 
left June 4th for London, where we expect again to meet 
them a week or two hence. 

On our second day we began the work of visiting the 
Paris Exposition, to give much idea of which, however, 
would be almost impossible in the time or space I can hope 
to devote to it. The ground occupied covers two hundred 
and ninety-one thousand square meters (French measure) , 
or nearly twice the space used in 1867. The main buildings 
occupy the upper portion of the Champ de Mars, so called, 
in one rectangular block, to which are added two immense 
wings. There are many foreign sections also, giving ideas 
of the buildings, customs and manners of nearly or quite 
every known nationality, all of which must be seen to be 
appreciated. 

The most of our time, up to this writing, has been 
passed in the art gallery, which is magnificent ; but the 
most wonderful of all is the Eiffel Tower. This is imposing 
and gigantic almost beyond description. It is constructed 
entirely of iron, has a height of about one thousand feet, a 
weight of sixty-five hundred tons, and cost $1,250,000. 
When I add that within the first two sections or bases, or 
before the actual tower is commenced, Bunker Hill Monu- 
ment could easily stand, some little idea may be formed of 
the immense proportions of this structure. It is also stated 
that ten thousand people can be accommodated at one time 



50 ABOABD ANDABBOAD. 

at the summit or upper stage of the second section. One is 
allowed to walk to the summit of the first stage, upon pay- 
ment of the same fee as for riding, but the second is reached 
only by the "lift." From there the top may be reached by 
elevators, but very few persons have yet been seen at the 
summit of the tower. 

Since writing the above another day has been x^assed at 
the exhibition, simply bewildering in the extent and variety 
of what has been seen. Among other portions we saw not 
a little of that department designated "United States," 
which, although by itself and in our own country would 
seem large and absolutely beautiful and creditable, falls far 
short and becomes meagre and uninteresting in comparison 
with that of other countries. The mistake of our govern- 
ment in not making liberal appropriations and stimulating 
Americans to spread before the whole world much more com- 
plete specimens of the artistic and industrial products of the 
country, thus missing that golden opportunity the advan- 
tages of which almost every other nation under the sun has 
been so quick to turn to good account, cannot fail to be pain- 
fully apparent to any one visiting the exhibition. America, 
with all its vast resources, cannot afford to turn a "cold 
shoulder" to every other portion of the globe, and it is 
to be sincerely regretted that this has not been earlier 
understood. 

The Louvre, said to be the most important public building 
in Paris, both architecturally and on account of its artistic 
treasures, is a palace of vast extent. The foundation of 
the present structure was laid in 1541. Its rooms, which 
are mainly connected with each other, are so numerous and 



IN THE GAY CAPITAL. 51 

so large that it is said to take two hours simply to walk 
through them without stopping. The ground floor contains 
a great variety of sculpture, ancient and modern. Here 
we saw the original "Venus de Milo," copies of which are 
to be found everywhere. To the writer, this was the most 
interesting spectacle of the kind on exhibition. The first 
floor, or picture gallery, contains, it is said, more than 
two thousand works of high rank, almost every school being 
represented by works of the old masters, such as Raphael, 
Rubens, Murillo, Rembrandt, Titian, and many others, any 
and all of which would suffice to confound and bewilder so 
uncultivated a mind as mine, although the impressions made 
will remain as long as life lasts. No attempt will here be 
made to describe the Egyptian, Asiatic, and other museums 
of art, which must be seen to gain an}^ adequate conception 
of their almost endless variety. 

On our return from the Louvre we looked in at the Church 
of St. Germain V Auxerrois, which dates, in its present 
form, from the twelfth century. The signal for the massa- 
cre of St. Bartholomew (Aug. 24, 1572,) was given from 
the little bell tower of this church. As we entered the main 
body of the church we found it filled with worshippers. 
The rite of confirmation was being administered to a large 
number of girls and boys. 

Later we went to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, founded 
in 1163, and consecrated in 1182, although the nave was not 
completed until about the thirteenth century. This edifice 
has since been frequently altered. It is still regarded as 
having some structural defects, attributable partly to the low- 
ness of the situation, and the absence of spires ; but with a 



52 ABOABD AND ABE AD. 

vaulting one hundred and ten feet high in the nave, borne by 
seventy-five pillars, and everything else in proportion, it 
inspired a feeling of awe and reverence, such as no ordinary 
structure devoted to religious purposes would be likely to 
evoke from the casual visitor. As we entered the cathedral 
we found an organ being tuned, and a funeral service going 
on at the same time. The rasping tones of a hautboy in 
the one did not, however, for the moment, produce a par- 
ticularly solemn and soothing effect on the other, but rather 
suggested the idea that " business is business," and that the 
living ever take precedence over the dead. 



LETTER VII. 
STILL IN PARIS 



The Quartette Taking In All the Sights — Pere- 
Lachaise, the Madeleine, the Pantheon, the 
Luxembourg, the Jardin des Plantes, 
ETC., ETC. — A Trip to Ver- 
sailles AND St. Cloud. 

Paris, June 14, 1889. 

AMONGr the most noted and interesting places in Paris is 
the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery, which, situated just on the 
outskirts of the municipality, is easily reached by pub- 
lic conveyance. It derives its name from LaChaise, the 
Jesuit confessor of Louis XIV. This cemetery was laid out 
in 1804, and its precincts have since been greatly extended 
and now cover an area of one hundred and ten acres. It 
is, distinctively, a "city of the dead," inasmuch as it is 
arranged in regular avenues, or streets, with shade trees, in 
many instances, planted in regular order on either side, and 
kept in perfect condition. One of these avenues, which we 
happened to discover, extended nearly an eighth of a mile 
in a straight line, the trees forming a perfect arch the entire 
distance. The tombs are erected in the shape of small 
buildings, many, of course, with the most elaborate designs 



54 ABOARD AND ABBOAD. 

and workmanship. Very generally, behind the doors of 
iron lattice-work, are to be seen wreaths and flowers of 
almost every conceivable design, both real and artificial, 
pieces of furniture, and various other emblems of respect 
and affection for the dead, tastefully arranged and extend- 
ing upwards to the height of the structure, usually from 
seven to ten feet. These rooms appeared to have an area, 
say, of three feet square, the body of the departed resting, 
of course, beneath a slab constituting the floor. It is said 
that there are twenty thousand of these tombs or monu- 
ments in this cemetery. Very many illustrious persons are 
buried in these grounds, among whom are Rachel, the 
actress, and Rossini, the musical composer, the grave of 
the latter of whom particularly attracted my attention. 

The Church of St. Mary Magdalen, or, as known here, the 
Madeleine, has a special interest, inasmuch as the foundation 
was laid by Louis XV. in 1764, although the edifice was not 
begun until 1777. The Revolution found the edifice unfin- 
ished, and Napoleon I. ordered it to be completed as a 
"Temple of Glory." Louis XVIII. returned to the original 
intention of making it a church. The work was again 
stopped by the Revolution of 1830, but the building was 
finally completed in 1842. It is three hundred and fifty-four 
feet in length, one hundred and forty-one feet in breadth, 
and one hundred feet high. It is surrounded altogether by 
sixty massive Corinthian columns, and the niches in the 
colonnade contain thirty-four modern statues of saints. In 
the church are many marble groupings of Biblical char- 
acters, the high altar consisting of that of Mary Magdalen 
being borne into Paradise by the angels. Directly behind 



STILL IN PABIS. 55 

this stands a large organ, for choir use, and there is another 
in the high gallery, at the opposite end of the church, of 
much greater volume and power. These were both heard, 
together with the excellent choir of the church and its 
splendid soloists, on Sunday morning, in a mass of striking 
beauty and excellence. The congregation of worshippers 
completely filled the vast edifice. 

Another object of interest in this church is a tablet to the 
memory of Abbe Deguerry, cure of the Madeleine, who was 
shot by the Communists on the 24th of May, 1871, at the 
Prison de la Roquette, in which condemned convicts await 
their execution or deportation. The tomb of Deguerry, 
which we did not visit, is in the crypt. It may not be out 
of place to add that the above death took place during what 
is known as the Communist " reign of terror," and on the 
same date the prison was also the scene of the murder of the 
venerable Mgr. Darboy, Archbishop of Paris, the President 
Bonjean, the Abbe Allard, and three other priests, who had 
been seized as hostages. On the 26th and 27th of that 
month thirty-seven persons, imprisoned under various pre- 
texts, were also shot, and on the 26th twenty-eight gen- 
darmes shared the same fate. 

On Monday we again passed the day at the exposition. 
The day before, Sunday, it is stated that 250,000 persons 
visited the place, and on the day following the number was 
increased to 353,776. Every department was crowded, and 
any opportunity for examining the innumerable articles 
on exhibition was rendered almost impossible. We were 
extremely fortunate in the two days we were there during 
the previous week. 



56 ABOABD AND ABBOAD. 

On Tuesday we joined a " Cook excursion," and visited 
Versailles, which is about twelve miles from Paris. On our 
way we passed St. Augustine's Church, Park Monceau (one 
of the pleasantest summer resorts of Paris), the famous 
Arc de Triomphe, and the Bois de Boulogne, which was 
made particularly gay by the great number of horsemen and 
horsewomen who were out for a morning ride. The display 
of horses was among the finest I have seen. One of the 
most prominent points of observation on this trip was the 
citadel of Mont Valerien, it being the largest and strong- 
est of the forts which defend Paris. Afterwards we passed 
through the town and park of St. Cloud, notable for the 
palace, now in ruins, which was built in 1658 by Louis XIV. 
Trees are now grown nearly to full size within the walls of 
this great structure. Within the grounds of this palace the 
entire party were photographed in a group — an ingenious 
device of an enterprising artist stationed there to " turn an 
honest centime " to account. The photographs were to be 
ready for delivery in Paris twenty-four hours after being 
ordered. We next visited the Grand Trianon, a handsome 
villa of one story, in the form of a horseshoe, at Versailles, 
in which are the rooms once occupied by Napoleon Bona- 
parte, and in one of which still remains the bed upon which 
he slept. Near here is also the coach-house, wherein was to 
be seen a great variety of state carriages, as many as eight 
or ten, of the most gorgeous workmanship, together with 
a great assortment of harnesses and trappings to match. 
Subsequently we were taken through the Palace of Ver- 
sailles, wherein was everything that money and royalty 
could suggest, and perhaps even more elaborate — certainly 



STILL IN PABIS. 57 

more ancient — than what was seen at Hampton Court, near 
London. 

On Wednesday our party resumed their own methods of 
exploring the wonderful sights of Paris and first went to the 
Pantheon, which stands on the highest ground of the city, on 
the left bank of the Seine, and occupies the site of the tomb of 
St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. The present edifice 
was completed in 1790, the foundation stone having been 
laid by Louis XV. in 1764. This edifice is of imposing 
dimensions, its form being that of a Greek cross, and it is 
surmounted by a dome two hundred and seventy-two feet in 
height. The interior is decorated with beautiful paintings 
and other works of art of a national and historical char- 
acter. Opposite the entrance stands an organ of only 
moderate size. The vaults beneath contain the remains of 
Mirabeau, Victor Hugo, whose tomb was covered with 
flowers and wreaths, and many other distinguished person- 
ages, although the names were not familiar to me. In these 
vaults a remarkable echo may be awakened, quite as clear, 
and even more resonant, than that of St. Paul's Church in 
London. In the vicinity of the Pantheon we found and 
visited what is known as St. Genevieve's Church, also that 
of St. Sulpice, one of the richest and most pretentious 
Roman Catholic churches on the left bank of the Seine, in 
which is an organ containing six key-boards, one hundred 
and eighteen stops, and about seven thousand pipes. The 
organist is said to be one of the best in Paris, and I regret- 
ted not to hear him. We also entered the Church of St. 
Germain-des-Pres, one of the most ancient in Paris. This 
edifice was founded in the sixth century, and during the 



58 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

revolutionary vicissitudes peculiar to France it became a 
saltpetre manufactory, and fell into a very dilapidated con- 
dition, but the work of restoration was commenced in 1824, 
and completed in 1836. Instead, therefore, of now being 
devoted to saltpetre, it has every appearance of being dedi- 
cated, among other things, to Saint Peter. 

The palace, gallery, and garden of the Luxembourg 
proved to possess great interest to an American stranger, the 
paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, etc., — all by 
living artists, — being fully equal in point of excellence to 
those seen in our travels during the last few weeks. It seems 
incredible that such an endless quantity and variety of these 
works are to be everywhere seen in the few places we have 
visited, and still more astounding to know in what profusion 
they are to be found wherever one may travel in Europe. 

The Musee de Cluny affords a special variety in sight-see- 
ing in the fact that it comprises a valuable collection of 
medieval objects of art and products of industry. It is said 
that here are more than ten thousand objects of special 
interest, embracing a great variety of furniture, such as was 
used in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, besides car- 
riages, sledges, trappings, Sedan chairs, etc., etc. The 
exquisite carvings in wood and ivory, the sculptures in mar- 
ble and alabaster, and elaborate iron work, are all well 
worthy of mention. 

The Jardin des Plantes comprises and concentrates all 
that is peculiar to natural science. Besides a zoological and 
botanical garden, in it are to be found natural history collec- 
tions, laboratories, a library, and it is said that lectures 
on natural history are regularly given, to which the public 



STILL m PABIS. 59 

are admitted free of charge. The fifteen acres of ground 
are beautifully laid out, flowers of every description are 
growing in great profusion, and the avenues are thronged 
with women and children, the former largely with their 
'' knitting work," and the latter amusing themselves and 
"cutting up all the shines " peculiar to childhood. Their 
talk is to me like that of so many blackbirds, but they 
seem to enjoy themselves all the same, and I have no doubt 
of their great happiness. My Paris experience, however, 
leads me to entertain the greatest respect, amounting almost 
to reverence, for the words of Tom Hood, when he wrote : 

" Never go to France 

Unless you know the lingo ; 
If you do, like me, 

You '11 repent, by jingo ! " 

The Palais de 1' Industrie is a specially interesting place to 
visit, and is now chiefly used for the annual exhibition of 
modern paintings and sculptures, of which it contains, at 
present, a great and very charming variety. Here the stat- 
uary is particularly striking, and I could but wish that 
some pieces, or copies of them, might be transferred to the 
city of Lowell. In viewing this collection I was profoundly 
impressed with the belief that the friends of the G. A. E. 
memorial movement would perform a much more satisfactory 
service, and confer a much greater benefit upon our fair 
city, by erecting a monument or some large awd imposing 
statue in. commemoration of the victories of our soldiers, 
than by any memorial hall or other building. This would 
certainly be equally suggestive, and much more attractive and 



60 ABOAED AXD ABROAD. 

ornamental, and the significance of such a memorial would 
never change. 

The Hotel des Invalides, with its conspicuous gilded dome 
three hundred and forty feet high, is another prominent 
feature of the city of Paris. Within and beneath it is the 
tomb of Napoleon I. Herein is an open circular crypt, 
twenty feet in depth and thirty-six feet in diameter. The 
sarcophagus, which is thirteen feet long, six and one-half 
feet wide, and fourteen and one-half feet high, consists of a 
single block of reddish-brown granite, and weighs upwards of 
sixty-seven tons. So great is the reverence of the French 
people for this place, and so strong is their affection for their 
former emperor, that it is invariably visited with uncovered 
heads. Hundreds of people were present when we saw it. 
Ill connection with what has been described there are two 
other chapels containing the remains of other members of the 
Bonaparte family, and also what is known as the Eglise de 
St. Louis, which is adorned with old banners, tablets, etc., 
all of which bear the marks of great age. I think it was 
stated that a military service is held in this church once each 
year. A fine looking organ graces the gallery. 



LETTER VIII. 



ON TO BELGIUM. 

A Day at St. Germain — On a Boat Through the 

Exposition Grounds — Brussels as a Little 

Paris — The Field of Waterloo. 

Brussels, June 17, 1889. 

AN element of interest, not to be overlooked during a 
visit to Paris for the first time, is found by taking a 
trip on the Seine. The river is full of craft of every sort 
and description, and presents, on a sunny day, a very bright 
and lively appearance. Many of the steamers are painted 
white and elaborately gilded, as if for some fairy purpose, 
while others are of a more sombre color, and not unlike the 
''Daniel Gage" on our own Merrimack River, except that 
they are considerably larger. It was on one of these, the 
" Touriste," that we embarked for St. Germain-en-Laye, 
thirteen miles from Paris by rail, and more than twice the 
distance by river, so winding is the course of this stream. 
On our way the boat passes two sets of locks, built of 
solid masonry, with iron gates. A stop of six minutes 
only is required to go through these locks, which strongly 
remind one of the travel by packet on the old Middlesex 



62 ABOABD AND ABROAD. 

Canal more than fifty years ago, although in the latter case 
the locks and gates were constructed, so far as possible, 
of wood. The country scenery was not specially interest- 
ing until near the approach of our objective point, which is 
located on a high bluff extending up almost directly from 
the river. The town itself is as quaint as one could imagine, 
and as " dead as Chelsea," the only signs of life in the 
main street consisting of a few little stores, now and then a 
soldier carrying a gun, and what appeared to be, with the 
horses about, a cavalry school. 

St. Germain attained its prominence through being long 
the summer residence of the kings of France, who were 
attracted to the spot, as early as the twelfth century, in conse- 
quence of the beauty of its situation. The terrace, which 
extends one and one-half miles along the slope of a vine- 
clad hill, at a considerable height above the river, commands 
a magnificent view of the immense valley spread out before it. 
The forest extends over eleven thousand acres of ground, and, 
so far as observed, is kept in perfect order. All such places, 
which have been visited by our party, seem almost the per- 
fection of what can be accomplished in these rare combina- 
tions of nature and human skill, but this one, in its richness, 
variety, and extent, seemed to be unequaled. The array and 
profusion of beautiful flowers, covering some acres of ground, 
at the entrance of this forest, would require a much more 
graceful and poetic pen than mine to describe with any 
degree of justice or approach to accuracy. 

We left St. Germain at 5 o'clock p. m., and after a ride of 
nearly four hours passed, I may say, through the Exposition 
grounds, as they occupy both sides of the river Seine (being 



ON TO BELGIUM. 63 

connected by a bridge). Here we saw the most brilliant 
illuminations, including that of the Eiffel Tower itself, with 
rays extending in every direction from the electric lights, 
looking like so many great comets darting through the clear 
and beautiful sky of that evening. Indeed, the very stars 
themselves seemed a part of this magnificent exhibition. 

It would be easy to write upon many topics relative to the 
peculiarities of Paris, of the manners and customs of its 
people, both business and social, which have come under my 
observation, and which seem so strange to me. In the mat- 
ter of buildings, for instance, their external appearance is 
bright, airy, and cheerful, and in their construction there is 
not only symmetry, but everywhere evidence of taste and 
refinement. It is curious to see how the otherwise common- 
place is redeemed and ennobled by art ; how freely statuary 
is used on buildings, public and private ; how every odd cor- 
ner is utilized for purposes of ornamentation ; and how no 
end of curious devices are worked out to give form and 
comeliness to everything that goes to make a city picturesque 
and inviting. The streets are kept scrupulously clean and 
neat, the sanitary regulations seem well-nigh perfect, and, 
although cafes and drinking-places are found on the very 
sidewalks of all the most frequented streets and boulevards, 
and filled with customers, of both sexes, no one is intoxi- 
cated, no one is quarrelsome, and I have seen no one 
otherwise than correct and decent in general deportment. 
Were a corresponding freedom to the " drink" business per- 
mitted in Lowell it would horrify, beyond description, all 
order-loving people, rows and fighting would prevail, and 
rioting would be imminent. Anything done in Paris to add 



64 ABOABD AND ABROAD. 

beauty and comeliness to the exterior of the city appears . to 
meet universal public encouragement, and, so far as I could 
observe, nothing in the way of ornament is ever disfigured 
or defaced. Thieves and vandals are numerous enough, 
without doubt, but even they apparently venerate and respect 
the idea of art. I have once before alluded to the matter of 
monuments and street statuary. Is it not the significance of 
what they are intended to represent, and their refining influ- 
ence, that insures the universal respect? Why then would 
it not, in time, be so with us? Are there not, in reality, 
*' sermons in stones," and would not a little of this sort 
of preaching prove a most effective means of grace in 
giving Lowell the iixipetus which is so much needed in this 
direction ? 

The ride from Paris to Brussels occupies about six hours. 
That part of France through which the train passes pos- 
sesses the same general features as those already described 
between Dieppe and Paris, although, if anything, it is rather 
more inviting. The country for the most part is flat, but 
very generally cultivated. Here also many of the fields, and 
the banks of the railway, are red with wild poppies, which 
grow in great profusion and look exceedingly beautiful. 
Just now is the haying season, and the work is largely done 
by women, who spread, rake, and pitch the hay ; but I 
observed no female mowing and only one carrying a scythe 
on her shoulder. On this side the Channel I have seen but 
one mowing machine, and that was in France. Other kinds 
of field work are also performed by women, which may, per- 
haps, be accounted for by the fact that the young men of 
the country are mainly pressed into military service. 



ON TO BELGIUM. 65 

Brussels is said to be " Paris in miniature." It certainly 
resembles the latter city, in the general appearance of its 
buildings, which include many elegant Flemish residences, 
and also in its streets, but it is entirely wanting in that life 
and animation which pervades the great capital of France. 
Brussels is noted for the excellence of its carpets and laces, 
the latter of which we observed conspicuously displayed and 
apparently for sale, in what otherwise appeared to be private 
dwellings. 

Among the specially interesting features of the place is 
the Cathedral Ste. Gudule and St. Michel, which is an 
imposing Gothic structure, commenced in the twelfth cen- 
tury, on the site of a still earlier building, consecrated in 
1047. This cathedral contains a great variety of biblical 
statuary, and also many windows of stained glass, dating 
from the thirteenth century down to modern times. Brussels 
also has its monuments, its parks, its bronze statuary, its art 
gallery, and evidently all the other requisites so prevalent in 
the old world to make a place beautiful and attractive. 
Another evidence of its thrift and enterprise may be shown 
in the fact that on a large and handsome brass sign, in front 
of a prominent store, were engraved the words : " Agence 
des Specialites Americaines du Docteur J. C. Ayer & Co., 
de Lowell (Massachusetts), Etats-Unis d'Amerique." 

In this vicinity, or thirteen miles from Brussels, is the 
field of Waterloo, made famous by the great battle fought 
on the 18th of June, 1815, and just seventy-four years pre- 
vious to the day we visited this spot. Of its historical 
interest nothing need here be said. Our guide, however, 
gave a very minute description of the battle, showing us 



66 ABO AMD AND ABBOAD. 

exactly how the military lines were formed, pointing out the 
very ground upon which Napoleon and the Duke of Wel- 
lington stood, and indicating where the final struggle took 
place, all with as much ease and facility as if he had per- 
sonally witnessed the great encounter. He explained, very 
graphically, the errors which caused Napoleon's defeat, and 
that of the French army. 

This battle-field is not unlike that of Gettysburg (judging 
only by the panorama of the latter, seen in Boston), 
although probably rather more level. It is spread out over 
a very beautiful country. A mound of earth, one thousand 
seven hundred feet in circumference and two hundred feet 
high, has been thrown up on the battle-field, known as 
Mont du Lion, on the summit of which, upon a lofty pedes- 
tal, stands an immense bronze lion, weighing forty-eight 
thousand pounds. The summit is reached by two hundred 
and twenty-five stone steps, and affords a very commanding 
view, not only of the battle-field, but of the whole surround- 
ing country. The Hotel du Musee, near the base of 
the mound, contains a great variety of old weapons, 
buttons, coats, and all sorts of relics, which can be seen for 
a small fee. Everything in the way of sight-seeing has a 
pecuniary value, and any extra money, not disposed of in 
fees and " tips," can easily be distributed to the numberless 
beggars whom one constantly encounters. Not a little of 
this sort of thing (begging) is done by children, and one 
favorite method of the youthful mendicants is to run after 
carriages, the children standing ready, at the foot of a hill, 
to importune passengers and to attract attention in various 
ways. Sometimes a boy will play a fiddle and dance, 



ox TO BELGIUM. 67 

another will turn somersaults, and on our return from 
Waterloo, as our carriage passed a little ascent in the road, 
three or four boys and a girl of ten or twelve summers stood 
on their heads, in a row, hoping to receive a few sous, but 
their gymnastics did not yield much profit on this particu- 
lar occasion. 

A curious thing about Brussels is seen in the fact that 
dogs are made the propelling power by which street venders 
of all sorts of commodities move about with their two- 
wheeled vehicles. The dog, harnessed, is under the cart, 
and pulls away with all his might, while the proprietor serves 
as guide, and attends to his commercial transactions. 



LETTER IX. 
IN THE NETHERLANDS. 



Charms of Antwerp — The Hague — Amsterdam — Cross- 
ing THE North Sea — On the Way Home. 

London, June 22, 1889. 

AVERY quaint' and curious place is Antwerp. It is now 
tlie principal seaport of Belgium, has a fine system of 
clocks, and everything about this abode of commercial indus- 
try shows thrift and enterprise. Like other large European 
cities, it is noted for its churches, its museum, and its 
works of art. The Church of St. Jacques, the erection of 
which was begun in 1491, but, in consequence of many 
vicissitudes, not completed until 1656, is one of the most 
costly and magnificent, internally, of any I have visited. 
It would be impossible here to describe the extent and 
elegance of its decorations. In it are burial vaults and 
private chapels of many of the wealthiest and most dis- 
tinguished families of Antwerp, including, in a private 
chapel, that of Rubens, the great painter, and his family. 
This vault is a very elaborate affair. The Church of St. 
Paul is another very old structure. In the yard, leading to 



IN THE NETHEBLANDS. 69 

the main entrance, are many statues of saints, angels, 
prophets, and patriarchs, and in a grotto adjoining is a 
representation of the "regions below," and also of the 
Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, in which lies a figure repre- 
senting the dead Savior. 

The Notre Dame Cathedral, however, is the largest and 
most S3'm metrically beautiful Gothic church in the Nether- 
lands. This was begun in 1332, but was seriously damaged 
by Puritanical zealots in 1566, and again by French repub- 
licans in 1794. In this church are seven aisles, marked by 
huge pillars, of which no less than one hundred and twenty- 
five support its vaulting. The tower, which is unsurpassed 
for grace and elegance, is four hundred and four feet in 
height, but the mots striking feature is a chime of ninety- 
nine bells which, during the night, ring out their changes, 
automatically, every seven minutes. The effect was that 
of a cross between a fire alarm and a music box, the 
heavy clanging of the great bass bells, the largest of which 
weighs sixteen thousand pounds, and the tinkling of the 
smaller bells, making an exceedingly curious combination 
of musical sounds, not at all unpleasant, but entirely at 
variance with anything like a night's rest. I had the 
pleasure (?) of listening to the music of these bells during 
the entire night, with the exception of less than two hours, 
and shall not soon forget the experience. 

The Hague is another very beautiful place which we 
visited. It is said that no town in Holland possesses so 
many broad and handsome streets, lofty and substantial 
houses, and spacious squares, as The Hague. The streets 
are interspersed, somewhat, with canals, which afford a pic- 



70 ABOABD AND ABBOAD. 

turesque appearance, but the somewhat stagnant water emits 
an odor anything but agreeable. On these canals boats are 
seen passing, heavily laden, each drawn by a man tugging 
at a tow-line. Here, also, is an interesting museum, largely 
devoted, however, to pictures, and here is to be found the 
]3ainting of Paul Potter's far-famed Bull, which is regarded 
as the most popular picture in the collection, and remark- 
able as one of the few animal pieces which this artist 
painted on so large a scale. 

About one and one-half miles from The Hague is what is 
known as the " House in the Wood," a royal villa, erected 
by the widow of Prince Frederick Henry of Orange, in 
memory of her husband. This is reached by a drive through 
a beautiful park, or wood, over a magnificent road, and for 
a small fee we were shown through the establishment, one of 
the most cosy and delightful yet seen in the way of royalty. 
In it are a Chinese Room, a Japanese Room, an Orange 
Room, and several others, all elaborately and appropriately 
furnished with the richest material, and in the most exquisite 
taste. The walls of the Orange Room, about fifty feet high, 
are filled with beautiful paintings, and the effect produced by 
the light from the cupola is particularly fine. This room is 
in the form of an octagon. A special feature of the drive 
from this place, in another direction from that by which it 
was approached, was the great profusion of flowers every- 
where to be seen. In addition to the outside cultivation, 
the windows of nearly every dwelling we passed were filled 
with bouquets, pot plants, etc., the effect of which was sim- 
ply exquisite. On our way out we saw, in a large enclosure 
covered with green grass, the morning drill of a military 



IN THE NETHERLANDS. 71 

school, and in another part of the town that of a cavahy 
school, where horses also were being trained to jump 
fences, some of the animals showing great activity in this 
exercise. The visit to The Hague was, in every way, 
delightful. 

Amsterdam was our next stopping-place, and we mainly 
satisfied ourselves with a two hours' drive through this great 
business centre of Holland. Everywhere are indications of 
thrift, activity, solidity, and wealth. Private residences 
partake, also, of this general character, and the queer thing 
is that these often face one of the canals with which the 
city abounds (a narrow street lying between) but without 
railing or other protection to guard against accidents by 
drowning. The buildings are all constructed on piles, the 
expense incurred for the foundation being, it is stated, 
sometimes greater than that for the superstructure. Many 
are of what is known as the Flemish style of architecture. 
Another peculiarity observed was that the fronts and tops 
of these buildings, when four or five stories high, instead 
of standing perpendicular, project toward the street, giv- 
ing the impression that they will, sooner or later, tumble 
over. This is caused, it is said, by the imperfections in 
the foundations, but they do not seem to be regarded as 
unsafe. 

Of course, Amsterdam has its many attractions for 
strangers, but we have mainly confined ourselves to external 
objects. Before reaching the place we were recommended 
to go to the " Bible Hotel," and upon arrival at the station 
we saw, at once, a porter with the badge, " Bible Hotel," so 
we were straightway taken to the Bible Hotel. The name 



72 ABOARD AND ABBOAD. 

seemed so odd, even for so religious a party as ours, that an 
effort was made to ascertain from whence such a name for a 
first-class hotel was derived. The following description, 
taken from a record in the office of the clerk, who also has 
the Bible in his possession, will elucidate the whole matter : 

THE BIBLE HOTEL. 

The earliest record that can be traced of the Bible Hotel 
is that Jacob van Eisveld, on the site of the present hotel, 
had a printing establishment, and it was in this building J. 
van Eisveld printed and published the first Bible issued in 
Holland, a copy of which, dated 1542, is still in possession 
of the proprietor of the hotel. 

The copy in question is in excellent preservation, being 
protected by a modern binding, and is looked upon as a 
very valuable and beautiful specimen of early printing. 

During the working of the Reformation in Holland, it is 
said that Jacob van Eisveld, in consequence of his religious 
views, was forced to leave Holland, and effected his escape 
through one of the back windows of his house, and was suc- 
cessful in reaching Antwerp, where, however, his ill fortune 
followed him, as it is recorded that, shortly after his arrival 
there, he was summoned before the authorities, found guilty, 
and executed. 

From the hands of v. Eisveld the premises passed into 
the possession of a Scotch family, bearing the name of Cat- 
termole, the first of whom converted the building into a 
tavern, and with a natural shrewdness, and with a view, it 
is supposed, of stamping the former use the building was 
placed to, took for his sign 

THE BIBLE, 

and applied to his use by painting upon his sign the twenty- 
third verse of the fifth chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to 
Timothy, " Drink no longer water, but take a little wine." 



IN THE NETHEBLANDS. 73 

It may be interesting to note, in passing, that tlie same 
old sign, carved in wood, put up by the first Cattermole, 
still does duty and remains over the portals of the present 
hotel. From Amsterdam we went directly to Rotterdam, 
contenting ourselves with what could be seen in a few 
hours, and from there took the steamer, which crosses the 
North Sea, for Harwich, thus bidding adieu to the conti- 
nent. The trip down the Maas River was charming, and 
the night in crossing the sea — so strongly suggestive of the 
aria from Audran's opera of Olivette, "In the North Sea 
lived a whale," — was passed without incident. 

Belgium and Holland are both splendid countries. The 
land, though mostly flat, is fertile and well cultivated, and 
instead of being more difficult places to pass through than 
France, on account of the language, we found quite the 
reverse, as everywhere we went, almost without exception, 
the English language is spoken. The picturesqueness of 
many of the places through which we passed was height- 
ened by innumerable windmills, which, with their long 
arms spreading out, turned with a slow, calm, and serene 
motion, as if expressing a sense of their own satisfaction 
and that of the country to which they contribute so much 
power and force in adjusting and improving its agricultural 
resources. 

This brings us again to London, with two weeks more of 
our allotted time to spend in the old country. Some places 
of interest still remain in this vicinity to be seen, notably 
Windsor Castle ; and probably a few English towns may be 
visited on our return to Liverpool, which may furnish mate- 
rial for a final letter in this somewhat desultorj' series. It 



74 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

is generally conceded, however, that a little absolute rest 
will now be required to assure full benefit from a trip which 
has afforded so much opportunity for sight-seeing, with 
relief from the rigid exactions of the long- continued, every- 
day duties and professional cares devolving upon most of 
the members of our little party, and to inspire energy and 
activity in the years yet to come. 



LETTER X. 
HOME AGAIN. 



Return of "Our Quartette" — Last Days in England 
— Windsor Castle — A Big Fair — The Charms 
OF Stoke Poges, Stratford, and Ches- 
ter — Farewell to Britain. 

On Board the Etruria, ) 

Mid-Ocean, July 10, 1889. ) 

WHILE London affords endless opportunities for sight- 
seeing and excitement, and while one might continue, 
indefinitely, to gratify almost any conceivable taste for sci- 
entific research or professional improvement, it is by no 
means wanting in its otium cum dignitate^ should one be 
inclined to avail himself of the quieter delights of the great 
metropolis. Rest and recreation may readily be found, not- 
withstanding the ceaseless din and the surging masses which 
everywhere prevail in London's great thoroughfares. There 
is many a quiet park, full of all that pertains to art, which 
will feast the eye and gratify the taste, many a display of 
paintings and collection of curiosities, all of which may be 
enjoyed without the sense that in so doing one is being 
overworked. Herein consist some of the city's chief 



76 ABO AMD AND ABB AD. 

attractions, altogether too charming to be overlooked or 
omitted, and to which the inevitable sixpence or shilling 
gains easy access. 

After occupying a few days in the manner above suggested 
— visiting, among other places, the Old Curiosity Shop, made 
famous by Charles Dickens ; the Doctor Johnson eating- 
rooms, still retaining the style and, I judge, the primitive 
furniture of his time, the sign reading O. C. C. (Old Cheshire 
Cheese) ; and after receiving the Shah of Persia, to do which 
we aired ourselves for nearly half a day on the embankment 
of the Thames, to see His Majesty sail by, in a gorgeously 
prepared steamer, accompanied by the Prince of Wales and 
other royal magnates — our party visited Windsor Castle. 
This is twenty-one miles from London and is reached by the 
Great Western Railway. On the day of our visit there was 
in full operation at Windsor the Great Britain Agricultural 
Fair, consisting of a marvelous exhibition of everything 
pertaining to the agricultural interests of that country. All 
our party, except the writer, had previously devoted one day 
to this fair, with the greatest satisfaction. On this occasion 
Windsor was filled with people, innumerable flags were 
flying, vehicles of every description were in the streets, 
ready to convey j^assengers to the fair-grounds, some two 
miles distant, and the spectacle afforded a very excellent 
substitute for the " Glorious Fourth," which all of us, for 
once, have missed. The castle on this day was opened to 
the general public, but the crowd was so great, and the vis- 
itors were hurried through so rapidly, that nothing more 
than a very general idea of the extent and magnificence of 
the place could be obtained. The furniture of the state 



HOME AGAIN. 77 

apartments was mostly covered, as if the family were away 
for the summer, so that, with the exception of the rooms 
themselves, not much was either seen or enjoyed. This 
does not apply, however, to the St. George's Chapel, which 
is richly adorned and is a very beautiful and charming place. 
In this chapel are the tombs of several former members of 
the royal family, over which are erected figures, in white 
marble, of most exquisite design and grace. There are also 
other figures of great magnificence, representing the Ascen- 
sion, Christ appearing to His disciples, and Christ meeting 
Mary in the garden. Of course we went in the procession 
to the top of the round tower, to the police music of " hurry 
up here," which neither gave a very dignified impression of 
the " stately tread" over the stone steps we were climbing, 
nor produced a particularly profound veneration for this 
former old prison or anything connected with it. Two miles 
from Windsor is the charming village of Slough, famous as 
being the place where Sir William Herschel and his son. Sir 
John Herschel, made many of their most important astro- 
nomical discoveries. We went to the observatory building, 
which, although not open, bore a modest sign, showing 
where these eminent men accomplished so much in behalf of 
science. 

Two miles beyond Slough, reached by one of the most 
lovely and picturesque country roads that can be imagined, 
is the church at Stoke Poges, and connected therewith the 
churchyard which is the scene of Gray's famous elegy, 

• " The curfew tolls the knell of parting day." 

This is an Episcopal Church, which has been standing 



78 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

for several centuries. Its inner construction, although in 
the form of a cross, is quaint almost beyond description, 
and it inspired a feeling of solemnity unequaled by that 
derived from any cathedral we have seen in P^urope. The 
churchyard itself is beautiful and even elegant in its simplic- 
it\^ The front walk is lined on either side with beautiful 
flowers, trained with exquisite skill to a height of at least 
four feet, and the yard generally is dotted with roses, grow- 
ing over the graves of many who have slept, for ages, 
within its sacred precincts. Thomas Gray is buried near the 
church, and his ashes repose under the same slab with those 
of his mother and other members of his famil}-, although 
there is nothing to mark their precise locality. A monu- 
ment to the poet's memory stands, however, in the adjacent 
Stoke Park, a fine property once in possession of the descend- 
ants of William Penn, and a centre of attraction to every 
visitor. The experiences of this particular visit, I venture 
to say, will never be effaced from the memory of any 
member of our party. 

After bidding adieu to London, on the 2d of July, our 
first stop was at Leamington, a well-known watering-place 
with twenty-five thousand inhabitants. The place is distin- 
guished for its mineral springs, of which there are three 
kinds said to be efficacious for dyspepsia and affections of 
the liver. Judging from the taste of the water from one of 
these fountains, it would be easy to imagine a direct com- 
munication with the sulphurous regions of Sheol itself. The 
streets of Leamington are wide and cleanly, and well 
provided with shade trees. The buildings, as a whole, have 
a modern appearance, and the residences, of which many are 



HOME AGAIN, 79 

very fine, are generally designated by some special name, 
which is painted on a stone post at the entrance of the 
driveway. The idea is unique and the effect pleasant. A 
short distance from Leamington, and within easy walk, is 
Warwick, a quaint old town of about twelve thousand 
inhabitants, situated on a hill rising from the river Avon. 
Here is the ancient and stately Warwick Castle. It 
is reached through a driveway cut through solid rock 
and overspread with immense forest trees, rendering the 
approach to it both grand and imposing. A walk through 
the buildings and grounds was rewarded with the view of an 
interesting collection of paintings and curiosities of various 
kinds, including the implements and armors of war, more 
honorable in disuse, — as it seems to one who has more 
natural thirst for peace than for blood, — than in their deadly 
service. A peculiarity of the yard encircled by the castle 
was found in the great number of peacocks, strutting about 
as if conscious of the dignity to be observed in the grounds 
they occupied. One of these birds was purely white and 
very beautiful. 

Five miles from Leamington is Kenilworth Castle, one 
of the finest and most extensive baronial ruins in England. 
This castle was founded about the year 1120, by Geoffrey 
de Clinton, chamberlain of Henry I. After passing through 
various hands, it became royal property and was presented 
by Queen Elizabeth to the Earl of Leicester. Later, as 
history records, Cromwell gave the castle to some of his 
officers, who demolished the stately pile for the sake of its 
material and scattered its costly collections. A walk 
through its ruins shows the magnificence of its former 



80 ABOARD AND ABROAD. 

proportions, and is full of interest from its prominence as 
connected with English history. 

Our next visit was at Stratford-on-Avon, and the centre 
of attraction was, of course, the birth-place and home of 
Shakespeare. The views and pictures of this house, so 
often seen, are entirely correct, but one would hardly 
imagine the antiquity and circumscribed condition of the 
rooms within its walls. It is now national property, 
and, although kept scrupulously neat and in good order, 
everything about it bears the aspect of the most abject 
poverty, relieved only by the wealth of mind which it so 
surely once possessed. In the several rooms are a limited 
number of articles and mementos of the great poet, includ- 
ing his school desk, the chair in which he sat, and also an 
old portrait, formerly in possession of the Clopton family, 
which attracts general attention. The town itself is quiet 
and pleasant, the very centre containing the beautiful monu- 
ment erected by George W. Childs of Philadelphia to the 
memory of the great poet. On the monument the American 
eagle and the British lion are displayed with equal promi- 
nence, and upon it also is a clock with a chime of bells to 
ring out the passing time. There are also a Shakespeare 
Hotel, a Shakespeare Book-store, a Shakespeare Restaurant, 
a Shakespeare Curiosity-shop, and, in fact, nearly all kinds 
of business have, in one way or another, a Shakespeare sig- 
nificance, thus showing to what extent the inhabitants still 
adore and venerate the great mind that has given their town 
world-wide prominence and renown. The Church of the 
Holy Trinity, beneath the chancel of which reposes all that 
was mortal of William Shakespeare, is regarded as the most 



H03IE AGAim 81 

thoroughly satisfying spot in Stratford. This was erected 
in the fifteenth century, and everything in and about it gives 
evidence of its great age. The stained glass window repre- 
senting the Seven Ages, was erected with the contributions 
of American visitors, who, by the way, are said greatly to 
exceed those of any other nationality. Just now a new 
organ is being placed in this sacred edifice, which cannot 
fail to modernize, and perhaps improve, some of the features 
of its service. Much more might be written in regard to 
Stratford, but the above briefly refers to a few of its promi- 
nent points. 

The trip from Stratford-on-Avon to Chester gave us a 
very good view of Birmingham, the great English centre for 
the manufacture of brass, iron, and other metallic wares, 
and also of Wolverhampton, near by, equally distinguished 
for its manufacture of locks, tin plate, and japanned goods. 
It was a clear, beautiful day, but the dense smoke emitted 
from the multitudinous chimneys fairly discolored the rays 
of the sun, and left only the impression that the attraction 
for strangers must be confined to those directly interested 
in its general business. The latter portion of the ride to 
Chester was through a very beautiful and undulating coun- 
try, and the approach to this place was striking, through the 
view obtained of the immense walls with which the original 
town is still surrounded. The present walls, about two 
miles in length, and over which we walked, have a paved 
footing, and afford an admirable view of the city and its 
surroundings. The walls are built of sand-stone, and follow 
the line of the old Roman walls (although, with the excep- 
tion of one short section near the water-tower, none of the 



82 ABOABD AND ABB AD. 

old Eoman walls are claimed to be preserved) , and are sup- 
posed to have been built in the fourteenth century. On the 
line, and at the New England angle, is the Phoenix Tower, 
with an inscription recording that Charles I. here witnessed 
the defeat of his troops on Rowton Moor in 1645. Next 
comes a watch-tower, and a little further on Pemberton's 
Parlour, so called, after which is the above named water- 
tower, which is now converted into a small museum. In 
this are numerous interesting relics, not the least of which is 
a model of the first Stephenson locomotive. Under a glass, 
as the old English gentleman in charge described, is also 
*' an 'ornet's nest made from the 'eart of a hoak tree." The 
Cathedral of Chester is notably a place to visit, being a very 
ancient edifice, as is the Church of St. John, in which now 
stands the organ played at the coronation of Queen Victoria, 
in Westminster Abbey. The Rows, so called, are also a 
unique and characteristic feature of Chester. These are to 
be found in the four principal streets of the city, and may 
be described as continuous arcades occupying the place of 
the front rooms of the first floors of the houses lining the 
streets, the ceiling of the ground floor forming the foot-path, 
while the upper stories form the roof. These covered pas- 
sages are reached from the street by occasional flights of 
steps, and the arrangement, altogether, affords a double set 
of stores to one street. For economizing space, and^for the 
benefit of landlords having " stores to let," the system 
would seem to be unrivalled. A distinguishing feature of 
this old place is " God's Providence House," so called from 
the inscription it bears, in grateful commemoration of its 
Immunity from the plague in the seventeenth century. This 



HOME AGAIN, 83 

house was originally built in 1652, but reconstructed in 
1862, in the old style and, as far as possible, with the old 
materials. 

A short ride from Chester brought us to Liverpool, where 
we arrived on the afternoon of July 4th. Over the Grand 
Hotel, where we stopped, and, I believe, Americans usually 
stop in Liverpool, the Stars and Stripes were gaily flying, 
as if welcoming all who bear allegiance to the dear old 
national flag. The truth is that Liverpool is more American- 
ized and much more of an American city, in its general 
appearance, than any other foreign place I have visited. The 
second entrance to it was decidedly pleasant and homelike, 
and nowhere have I passed a couple of days more agreeably 
and comfortably. With an inclination, however, to rest 
rather than explore, our party were satisfied with a general 
survey of its external beauties, while walking through its 
business streets, visiting St. George's Hall, listening to its 
excellent out-of-door band concerts, and riding to Prince's 
Park, which is a beautiful spot covering some forty acres of 
ground. 

Of course, when we embarked, July 6, on the Etruria, we 
had a fine view of the shipping and famous docks of Liver- 
pool, but the " sounds from home " — some of us found let- 
ters from Lowell — were altogether too attractive for much 
thought of anything else. At 3 o'clock we bade adieu to 
England and English shores, and, at this writing, are in 
mid-ocean, sailing smoothly, yet almost impatient to reach 
the shores of the land which gave us birth, and which we 
are all so proud to call by that ever endearing name — home. 



